The Dark Lord's Children
by Luna25
Summary: Based on a Harry Potter related dream. AU. A woman escapes death from Voldemort and gives birth to his twins. They are fated to one day help Harry defeat Voldemort.
1. Prologue

Summary: This is based on a Harry Potter-related dream I had. A woman is raped by Voldemort and miraculously escapes death. She later gives birth to twins, who are fated to one day help Harry defeat Voldemort.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own the characters I have made up and part of the plot.

Prologue

Crystal Parker was in her small house, getting ready for an Order mission. Suddenly there was loud crack outside her home. A few seconds later, the door was kicked open and Voldemort came in. Crystal gasped and pointed her wand at him. "_Stupefy_!"

Voldemort blocked it with a shielding spell and said lazily, "_Expelliarmus!_" Crystal was disarmed and knocked off her feet.

"Get out of my house, Voldemort!" she yelled, scrambling for her wand.

"You're very brave to say my name," he hissed. "_Stupefy!_" Crystal was stunned.

Voldemort dragged her to the bedroom and removed his clothes. "_Enervate_. Now, since you are so brave, I will favor you with something I don't normally do." He proceeded to rape her, while Crystal struggled futilely and shouted curses.

In the end, Crystal gave up, resigning herself to it. At least she wasn't a virgin. It would have been horrible if she had to lose her virginity to Voldemort. She was glad she had decided to sleep with Sirius Black four months ago, right after their engagement.

When the deed was over, Voldemort got dressed and forced Crystal's robes back on her. "Now for some more fun before I kill you. _Crucio!_" Pain coursed throught Crystal's body and her limbs flailed, though she managed to keep from screaming. Voldemort put her through the Cruciatus Curse nine more times. The fourth time, Crystal had given in to her screams of pain.

Finally Voldemort stopped and laughed evilly. "So, you're not so strong after all. Hmm, I may not kill you after all, if you join me."

"Never!" spat Crystal. "I will never join such filth as you, Voldemort.The last descendant of Godric Gryffindor will never do such a thing."

"Oh, you're the last desendant of Gryffindor?" asked Voldemort. "Well, it is a pity that you're about to die then. The last of the Gryffindor line will die out." He cackled evilly, then shouted, _"Avada Kedava!_"

A jet of green light shot from his wand and headed for Crystal. By some amazing miracle, it hit the jade medallion she was wearing under her robes. Crystal quickly jerked and closed her eyes. She held her breath, pretending to be dead. Voldemort's attention had shifted from her. He cast the Dark Mark, then Apparated out from the house.

Once he was gone, Crystal got out of bed. She transfigued the remains of her medallion to look like her dead body, then showered and changed. She forced her old robes on the transfigured body, then Apparated to Hogsmeade. Once there, she walked to Hogwarts and sought out Professor Dumbledore's office. Professor Dumbledorewas consulting his Pensieve when Crystal walked in.

"Crystal Parker! What in Merlin's name are you doing here? You should be on Order business."

"Not anymore," she said grimly. "Voldemort came to my house an hour ago. I tried to Stun him, but he blocked it and disarmed and stunned me. Then he proceeded to rape me, torture me with Crucio, then attempted to kill me when I wouldn't join him. If the Death Curse hadn't hit the medallion I had under my robes, I wouldn't be here." She swayed and quickly sat down.

"Oh dear," said Dumbledore looking shocked. "What did you do after?"

"I pretended to be dead, Voldemort cast the Dark Mark and left, and then I transfigured the remains of the medallion into my dead body. Then I showered, changed, and came here to see you. I don't want Voldemort finding out I'm still alive, so I plan to change my name and appearance somewhat. And I would like to hide at Hogwarts for awhile. And I need to make sure I don't bear his child."

Dumbledore started. "As to that, you may change your mind. For now, I shall change your appearance." He did a charm so that her eyes changed from green to blue, then added some red to her bonde hair. Finally he made her nose a bit shorter and pointier.

"Thank you, Professor. My new name shall be Eleanor Kirke. Could you arrange for my vault to be transferred to my new persona? My will states that everything is to go to you, unless I'm married to Sirius and he's alive. As I'm not married to him, you inherit everything."

"I shall arrange things, Eleanor. Now, you may want to keep any children you bear." He pulled his pensieve close and tapped at a silvery swirl. A figure appeared and said in a hollow voice, "**_The Dark Lord shall attempt to kill a woman, but fail. She shall later give birth to his children, twins. The twins will one day rise up and help the one born at at the end of July and marked as the Dark Lord's equal defeat the Dark Lord."_** The figure disappeared.

Dumbledore then proceeded to explain things. "There is a new Divination teacher here named Sibyll Trelawney. A few weeks ago she was in my office as I had to explain her teaching duties and settle her in. Halfway through, she made this prophecy. She had no knowledge of it after, though. I gather that such a thing happens to some Seers."

Crystal, or rather Eleanor, nodded slowly. "So what this prophecy is saying is that in all liklihood I will give birth to twins who will then one day help someone defeat Voldemort. Who is this someone born at the end of July and marked as the Dark Lord's equal?"

"To understand that, you will have to see another prophecy. It was also made by Sibyll Trelawney in my presence, when she was applying for the Divination post." Dumbledore produced another memory.

When the figure of Professor Trelawney disappeared a second time, Eleanor got up and slowly paced the room before having to sit down again. Being under the Cruciatus Curse ten times had taken a toll on her, after all. "All right. So a boy will be born at the end of July, most likely next year, to parents who have thrice defied Voldemort,and he will be marked as the Dark Lord's equal. And eventually he will either have to kill Voldemort or be killed by him. Judging from the second prophecy, he and my children will kill Voldemort."

"Tht is correct," said Dumbledore. "You could have been in Ravenclaw, you know, with your brains."

"I know," replied Eleanor. "The Sorting Hat did consider Ravenclaw before deciding that my courage and slight diregard for the rules were better suited for Gryffindor. And because I was a descendant of Godric Gryffindor."

"Well, I shall arrange for your 'body' to be found and for everyone to think you are truly dead, Cry-Eleanor," said Dumbledore. "In the meantime, I shall have a house elf take you to a room for you to stay." A house elf named Saren escorted "Miss Kirke" to a guest room.

The next day, Eleanor read her obituary in the _Daily Prophet_. "**_Crystal Parker, age nineteen, was found dead in her home outside London. The Dark Mark was cast over her house and it is believed that You-Know-Who was responsible for her death. Signs point to him blasting open the door and torturing her before killing her. Her wand has not been found with her and it is believed that You-Know-Who might have taken it._**

**_Crystal Parker had only graduated from Hogwarts the previous year and was training to become an Auror. She was not married at the time of death, though there are rumors that shemight have beenengaged to fellow Hogwarts classmate, Sirius Black. She is survived by her mother, a Muggleborn witch. Funeral services are to be held October third, three days from today. Her will states that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, will inherit her assets, except for a few articles of jewelry and other keepsakes which are to go to her freinds,and for her friends, namely Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Dorcas Meadowes,and Frank and Alice Longbottom, to not grieve overlong for her."_**

Eleanor folded the newspaper, satisfied with the obituary. Everyone believed her to be dead. It was really sad about her friends and mother, though. They would be really devasted by her'death'. She wished she could tell them the truth, but she couldn't risk Voldemort finding outshe was still alive and have him go after her again. Furthermore, she had a part in a prophecy to fulfill.

Two weeks later, Eleanor began having morning sickness, confirming her pregnancy. After two months, it began really showing, proving that she was going to have twins. Nine months and a day later after Voldemort's attack, she gave birth to twins on June 30th, 1980. The boy she named Christopher James Remus, the girl Margery Alice Lily. Luckily, the twins looked nothing like Voldemort. They had blond hair, with Margie's being curly, and sapphire blue eyes, like Eleanor's mother. The twins didn't look alike, since they were fratenral, but they had similarities like regular siblings.

Professor Dumbledore was made godfather while Professor McGonagall, who had been appraised fo the situation, was made godmother. Eleanor stayed at Hogwarts for the time being, since she wasn't ready to leave yet. When theChris and Margiewere three, she taught Defense Against Dark Arts for a year. Then next year, when they were four, she quit and moved to Ottery St. Catchpole. She bought a small house and got a job working as a store clerk in the local bookstore. Eleanor soon became friends with the Weasleys and Lovegoods, two wizarding families who lived just outside the small town.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Eleanor settled into a quiet life at Ottery St. Catchpole. She had been devasted when Voldemort had killed the Potters, except for Harry, and it was discovered that Sirius Black was the one who betrayed them. She had removed her engagement ring when Dumbledore told her the news, but she hoped that prehaps Sirius was innocent. She couldn't believe that the man she loved could have been on Voldemort's side. Why, he had hated the Dark Arts and ran away from his family the summer after their fifth year!

Margie and Chris, in the meantime, had no idea of such things. They knew about Voldemort and how Harry had defeated him, but they didn't know much else about it. They instead attended the local primary school and spent the afternoons playing with the Weasleys and Luna Lovegood. Bill and Charlie Weasley were at Hogwarts, and Percy was four years older and boring, but the twins Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny were fun. Ron was Margie and Chris's age, while Ginny and Luna were a year younger. Margie was closer to Ginny and Luna, as they were girls, but Chris was friends with them, too.

Chris and Margie lived both in the magical and Muggle world. They read Muggle books, watched movies and programmes on the telly, and their house had appliances like telephones and toasters. They also learned how to fly, listened to the Wizarding Wireless Network, attended the occasional Quidditch match, and sometimes visited Diagon Alley.

The twins liked the Chudley Cannons, but unlike Ron, they didn't root for them. Margie perferred the Holyhead Harpies, which only took females. Her dream was to either sign on the team as a chaser, or become an auror. Chris's team was the Winbourne Wasps. Once, at the age of five, the twins had been able to see the Wasps play against the Tutshill Tornadoes. The Wasps had won the match and Chris declared after that he wanted to be a beater on the team like Ludo Bagman. (later he added auror as a choice)When Bagman resigned two years later and went to work for the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Chris had burst into tears.

After first grade, Eleanor removed Chris and Margie from the primary school. She had received a few notes, all regarding the magic the twins has shown. Thereafter, they were homeschooled at the Weasley house with Ginny, Ron, Luna, Fred, George, and Percy.

One day, after lessons, Chirs, Margie, Luna, Ginny, and Ron were gathered in the Wealsey back yard. "Let's go hunting for the crumple-horned snorkack!' exclaimed six-year old Luna. "Daddy says they live in Sweden, but we can pretend the yard is Sweden." She then had to describe the creature for the others.

Percy came up to them. "The crumple-horned whatever doesn't exist," he said in a superior voice.

"They do to exist!" retorted Luna. "Daddy says so! Lots of people in Sweden have seen them!"

"They're making it up," said Percy. He then went inside the house. The pretend hunt of the crumple-horned snorkack began, but the twins, Ron, and Ginny weren't so enthuastic anymore.

That evening, Margie asked, "Mum, does the crumple-horned snorkack exist?"

"Luna says they do, but Percy says they don't," added Chris.

Eleanor sighed. "Well, I don't really know. There is is no proof that says they do exist, other than supposed sightings, but there also is no proof that says they don't. I guess it's like believing in God. You can't really see Him, just like you can't see the wind, but you either know He exists or you don't. Does that help?"

Margie and Chris nodded. Then Margie asked. "Mum, who is our father? All the kids we know have one."

Eleanor sighed again. "He was a evil wizard who left me before you two were born and is now believed by many to be dead." That was essentially the truth, for she had sworn never to lie to her children. "I shall explain further when you are older."

When they were nine, Eleanor revealed the complete truth to them. "Voldemort is your father. He came to me one day and, er, did the process that's necessary to produce children. After that, he used the Cruciatus Curse, then the Killing Curse. It hit the medallion I had on under my robes, so I didn't die."

"Why didn't you take a potion to get rid of us?" asked Chris. "Most people wouldn't want to have Voldemort's children."

"Because of a prophecy," explained Eleanor. 'It basically said that Voldemort would try to kill a woman, but fail;, She would later give birth to his twins, who would one day help someone born at the end of July and marked as the Dark Lord's equal defeat the Dark Lord."

"That would be Harry Potter, wouldn't it?" asked Margie. "You told us all about him. And we read about it in that book, _Modern Magical History_."

Eleanor nodded and then explained the prophecy concerning Harry. Finally she said,. "So that is the complete truth about your ancestry. You twoare the children of Voldemort and through him, descendants of Slytherin, while through me you are also descendants of Gryffindor. Any twins born in the Gryffindor line are able to sense the others thoughts and feelings and know when the other's in danger or trouble. And that is where you get the flashes of the future, Chris, and where you are a good judge of people, Margie. Oh, and you'll be able to become Animagi without all the study and practice most have to go to. My form is a hawk."

As she neglected to forbid them from becoming animagi, they secretly practiced. Margie was able to become a grey tiger cat with the markings of her glasses, while Chris ended up with two forms, a daytime and nighttime form. His daytime form was an eagle, while his nightform was a bat. After some subtle questioning, their mother revealed that those in the Gryffindor line could occasionally have two forms, one for day and one for night. Her nighttime form was an owl. Since cats could be both night and day creatures, Margie didn't need two forms.

One day, when they were ten, Margie and Chris were in their garden, watching a garden snake and talking to each other about how they admired their mother. "She's really brave, Chris. Even after being tortured and almsot killed by Voldemort hasn't made her afraid of saying his name."

"And she actually went through with having us, though the prophecy might have had something to do with that." said Chirs. "We need to talk with Uncle Albus and Aunt Minerva when we visit them next week." Every summer, Margie and Chriswould go to Hogwarts for two weeks to visit their godparents. The result was they were also acquainted with the other teachers and knew their way around Hogwarts quite well. Their favorite staff members were Professor Flitwick and Hagrid. They didn't like Professor Snape very much.

The snake suddenly hissed, _"Are you done talking, little ones? I have to eat and you'll scare off the mice in the garden."_

Margie replied, _"Sorry, Mr. Snake._" She suddenly gasped, exchanged looks with Chris,and thenthe two ran inside.

When Eleanor heard this, she said, "Well, seeing as Voldemort is a Paresletongue and you're a descendant of Slytherin, I expected this. Do not tell anyone of this, except to your godparents, until I say it is time, Christopher and Margery." Her eyes were very serious.

The next week, they flooed to Professor Dumbledore's office. He looked serious as the twins told him about being Parseltongues and said their mother was wise to forbid them from telling others. Other than Professor McGonagall, nobody knew the truth about their birth circumstances, even with Voldemort gone. Voldemort would have to come back into power someday if Chris and Margie were to help Harry defeat him. If he knew Eleanor, or Crystal, had survived and had his children, he would try to kill them and could possibly ruin everything.

The next year, two letters arrived. One was addressed, "Miss M. Kirke, The Second Bedroom, Number 7, Adams Street, Ottery St. Catchpole." The other was the same, except it was for "Mr. C. Kirke, The Third Bedroom." The twins were really excited to receive their Hogwarts letters.The nest Thursday, Eleanor took the day off form work and with the Weasleys went to get the Hogwarts supplies.

At Gringotts, the Kirkes went down to Vault 825, which hadn't been touched since they had moved to Ottery St. Catchpole. Eleanor withdrew enough to pay for the supplies and filled two small money pouches for the twins' spending money. Mrs. Weasley took the twins and Ron for wands, while Eleanor went to buy the potions supplies and parchment.

When she was done, she went to Ollivanders. Margie and Chris came running out, looking excited. "Mother, my wand is holly, unicorn hair, ten inches!" cried Margie, looking excited. "Mr. Ollivander said it was good for Charms."

"And mine is mahogany, phoenix feather, eleven inches, good for Defemse!" shouted Chris. He suddenly looked sober. "Mr. Ollivander was creepy. He looked intently at us, said Margie looked like a dead witch named Crystal Parker, except for the eyes, and then said we were fated to do great things." Then in a whisper so Ron and Ginny wouldn't hear, "Margie and I know he was referring to you, Mum."

Eleanor sighed. "Well, it's a good thinjg I didn't go in there. He might have recognized me. And if he hadn't, he would have been very confused as to my wand, sicne he remembers every wand he's ever sold."

"Yeah, he was able to describe Mrs. Weasleys wand," said Margie.

"Well, never mind that. Let's get your books and robes, and then you can look at the new broom that's out while I get your cauldrons and telescopes and such. And afteryou can pick out your animals."

They bought their set books and were measured for their robes, then the twins gazed at the Nimbus Two Thousand in the window of Quailty Quidditch Supplies. Then they stopped at Eyelops Owls Emporium, where they picked out a tawny owl. Chris named him Wulfric, after one of their godfather's middle names. Then they went to Magical Menagerie, where they picked out a grey tiger cat. Margie named her Athena, which was what the Greeks called Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and their godmother's first name.

After lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, the Weasleys and Kirles flooed home. Chris and Margie spent the rest of the summer reading their set books, as well as _Hogwarts, a History, Quidditch Through the Ages_, and a couple other books they'd gotten for background reading. Margie practically memorized the contents of the course books.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter,just Eleanor, Chris, and Margie Kirke.

Chapter Two

On August 31st, Chris and Margie were packing their trunks when Eleanor came in, a bundle in her hands. "Here," she said. "My father gave it to me when I started Hogwarts and I think you two should have it. Lily, Alice, Dorcas, and I put it to good use."

Margie unwrapped the bundle and revealed an invisibilty cloak. "Mother!" she gasped. "Where-how-why-"

Eleanor laughed. "Calm down, dear. It was one of the possessions I left to Dorcas Meadowes in my will. When Voldemort killed her, Dumbledore gained possession of it and turned it over to me."

Chris took it from Margie and ran his hands through it. "Thank you, Mum. Margie and I will use it well."

"Just don't cause mayhem like the Marauders did," said Eleanor. "It will also keep you from being in your animal forms too much."

Margie and Chris looked at their mother, surprised. She laughed and said gently, "I figured you had learned to transform when you asked me about having two Animagus forms. You weren't being very subtle about it, you know. Do be careful, as you're unregistered."

"We will," said Chris, looking solemn. He carefully wrapped it up again and placed it in his trunk.

The next day, Eleanor took the morning off from work and drove them to London to King's Cross Station. The Weasleys arrived the same time as they did and they all found trolleys and headed for the barrier. Margie noticed a boy with messy black hair and glasses near them, also pushing a trunk and had a cage with an owl. Then it was her and Chris' turn to go through the barrier after the Weasley twins, so she put the boy out of her mind for the moment.

After a couple of minutes, Eleanor, Mrs. Weasley, and Gionny came through. Eleanor smiled at her children and hugged them. "Have fun at Hogwarts and behave. Don't go around getting into trouble and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Understand?"

Margie and Chris nodded, though Chris had a devious smile on his face. He had a prankster's steak in him and had sometimes helped Fred and George with their pranks. Eleanor looked stern as she said, "Christopher James Remus Kirke, do not cause mayhem like Fred and George. I don't want to be bombarded by owls from your godparents listing the trouble you've been in."

Percy had come by to mention that he was going to the prefect's compartment, and then hurried away. Fred and George had come over and was being told by their mother to behave and look after Ron. Finally one of them said, "Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

"You know the black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" asked the other twin.

"Who?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry Potter!" Margie and Chris looked at the Weasleytwins, startled. Ginny wanted to go on the train and met Harry, but her mother wouldn't let her, saying that she'd already seen him and Harry wasn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Fred said he'd asked him and seen the scar, so he'd known the boy was Harry Potter.

Mrs. Weasley forbade Fred from asking Harry about You-Know-Who and Eleanor told Chris to do the same. She didn't bother with Margie, who was better behaved and din't go around asking prying questions. A whistle sounded and all the children except Ginny, who had to wait until next year,quickly boarded the train. They leaned out the window to wave to their mothers and Ginny. Margie called, "I'll write and tell you all about Hogwarts, Ginny!" Ginny began crying.

"We'll sned you a Hogwarts toilet seat!" called George, earning a sharp "George!' from Mrs. Weasley.

As he replied, "Only joking, Mum," Chris amd Margie kissed their mother, who told them to write at least once a week to her and to have fun. She smiled, though she was blinking back tears. The train then began to move. Ginny ran after the train, half laughing, half crying, until it gathered too much speed; then she fell back and waved.

When they couldn't see their mothers and Ginny any more, they began looking for compartments. Chris, Margie, and Ron went toward one in the back, where Harry Potter was sitting. Ron pulled back the compartment door and pointed at the seat opposite Harry. "Can we sit here? Everywhere else is full." Harry nodded and the three went inside.

Margie said cheerfully, "I'm Margery Kirke, Margie for short. This is my twin brother, Christopher, Chris for short." She straightened her glasses and tucked her wand behind her ear, a habit she had picked up from Mrs. Lovegood, who had always put her wand away like that before her deathtwo years ago.

Fred and George Weasley came back. They introduced themselves and Ron to Harry, then left, as their friend, Lee Jordan, had a large tarantula down in the middle of the train.

Ron suddenly blurted out, "Are you really Harry Potter?" Apparently he thought it was one of his brothers' jokes.

Harry nodded and Chris whispered to Margie, "You can ask Harry about Voldemort. Mum didn't forbid you."

Margie looked increduously at her twin. "I will not! He probably doesn't remember, and it's a horribly rude question to ask, anyway."

Ron didn't seem to care, for after asking Harry to show his scar, asked, "So that's where You-Know-Who-?"

"Yes," replied Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" asked Ron eagerly. Margie let a loud and annoyed sigh.

"Well-I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else," answered Harry.

Chris gasped. "You survived Avada Kedava, Harry! That's the Killing Curse. Nobody has ever survived it."

Harry shrugged and then asked, "Are all your family wizards?" to the three.

"Er - yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

Margie responded, "Mother is a witch. One of her parents was a muggleborn, while the other was from a wizarding family."

"What about your father?" asked Harry curiously. Chris and Margie exchanged looks.

Finally Chris said, "Our father was an evil wizard who left Mum after getting her pregnant and is now presumed dead."

"Oh," said Harry, looking sorry for asking. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," said Margie. "Let's talk about some thing else. You were brought up by Muggles, weren't you?"

Harry nodded and said his aunt, uncle, and cousin were horrible. He then said he wished he had a twin sister or three wizarding brothers. Ron looked gloomy as he said that he had five brothers. Bill and Charlie, the two oldest, had left school. Bill had been head boy, while Charlie was captain at Quidditch. Percy was now prefect, and while Fred and George messed around a lot, they still got good marks and everybody thought they were funny.

"Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first," said Ron. "You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Percy's old rat, and some of Charlie's old schoolbooks. I was going to get his old wand too, but with Mrs. Kirke insisting on paying my mum for homeschooling Margie and Chris, Mum was able to get me a new one."

Ron then pulled out a fat grey rat. "His name is Scabbers and he's useless. He hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from Dad for being made prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Harry told Ron that he hadn't had any omey until a month ago and how he had never gotten any proper presents from the Dursleys. He added that he didn't know he was a wizard or about Voldmeort until Hagrid told him.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" gasped Ron. "I thought, you of all people-"

Chris frowned. "What's the big dea, Ron? Margie and I aren't afraid to say his name."

"Well, your mother isn't afraid to say it and she brought you up to be the same," countered Ron.

"And Harry wasn't brought up to be afraid of sayiong Voldmeort," said Margie. 'To him, it's just a name."

"I didn't know I wasn't to say the name," said Harry quietly. "See? I'll probably be the worst in the class."

"No, you won't," said Margie. "Mother went to school with your mother and she said that Lily Potter was one of the top students. In fact, there are lots of Muggleborn students and they learn quickly enough. You'll do fine, like your parents."

Harry perked up at this and asked the twins if their mother had told them more about his parents. Chris said that he'd heard that James Potter was also a top student and an excellent chaser. Then Chris and Ron had to explain Quidditch and all the postions.

At half past twevle, a witch with a food trolley came by. Harry ended up buying the whole lot and the four of them ate their way through the sweets. As Harry didn't know anything about wizarding sweets, he had to have chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans explained to him. He began a collection of cards, statring with Dumbledore and a Morgana one Ron gave him. Margie and Chirs turned over cards they found that were copies of ones they already had to Harry. Ron looked for Agrippa and Plotemy, but didn't find any. Chirs found an Agrippa card, but he kept it as he and Margie didn't have one. Ron muttered, "Lucky you," at this.

Some time later, the door to their compartment opened. A round-faced boy, looking tearful, said, "Sorry, but have you seen a toad?"

They all shook thier heads. The boy wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

Harry said, "He'll turn up soon." Margie offered to help look, but the boy said no, thanks, and left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could.

Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust.

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out his wand. He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toad less boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said.

She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er - all right." He cleared his throat.

_"Sunshine, daises, butter mellow,  
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."_

Margie and Chris exchanged grins, for they knew it was just a stupid rhyme the Weasley twins had probably made up.

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard -I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said all this very fast.

"Christopher Kirke, Chris for short," said Chirs.

"And I'm his twin sister, Margie," said Margie. "Actually, it's Margery, but I perfer Margie."

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I?" asked Harry, who looked dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." Hermione and Neville turned and left.

"She sounds annoying," said Chris, "I hope she's not in whatever house I'm in."

Margie looked at Chris. "She is not! I like her. She obviously likes to read, like me, and she's memorized the contents of our set books like I did. And my gift of being a good judge of people says she's nice and is a good friend to have."

"Well, unless I get a vision of her being friends with us, I'm not going to change my opinion of her," said Chris. He looked at Ron, who had thrown his wand angrily into his trunk. "You know, that was just a made-up rhyme, not a real spell, Ron."

"I figured that out!" snapped Ron. "George gave it to me. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!"

Harry chaged the subject by asking what Ron's older brothers did now that they had left school. Ron answered, then mentioned that someone had tried to rob Gringotts. The thief hadn't been caught, and apparently nothing had been stolen. Chris and Margie exchanged looks, wondering if it had something to do with Voldemort. Harry changed the subject again, asking if they had any idea how you were sorted into a house.

Ron replied, "I don't have much of an idea. Fred said it hurts a lot, and said something about wrestling a troll, but I think he was joking."

Margie gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course he was joking, Ronald! Didn't any of your other brothers tell you about the sorting? You just have to try on a Hat!"

Harry and Ron looked confused. Chris clarified, "The founders used to pick students for the houses. But they had to have some way to sort stuidents after they were dead, so Godric Gryffindor took off his hat and he and the other founders did some magic to it. After that, the Sorting Hat picks out what house you're in."

Margie continued, "Every year, it sings a different song about the houses or the founders or something similar. Then whomever's deputy headmaster or mistress calls the first years up alphabetically. You sit down on a stool, try on the Hat, and it looks into your mind and based on your qualties decides what house you're best suited for. Gruffindor is know for courage and nobleness, Ravenclaw for intelligence and wit, Hufflepuff for loyalty and hard work, and Slytherin for ambition and cunning."

"Slytherin isn't all bad, though," said Chris. "The Head of Slytherin and Potions teacherduring Mum's time at school, Professor Slughorn,was nice. He didn't look down on Muggleborns or anything. But Mum said he did have lots of ambition by surrounding himself with all the students who were well-connected or had the talent for doing great deeds. She said she and Lily Potter were part of his Slug Club because they were excellent at Potions and were among the top witches in their year."

Margie nodded. "But most of the ones in Slytherin aren't like Professor Slughorn. They're generally not very nice and don't care for those that aren't pureblood and don't think like them."

"Like my family," said Ron. "Us Weasleys are pureblood, but we're considered blood traitors because we don't care about parentage and associate with Muggleborns and stuff. And we're poor."

Just then, three boys entered. Two were thickset and looked mean, while the third had pale blond hair and a pale pointed face. "Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry, looking at the other boys.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford. And who are you two?"

"Margery and Christoper Kirke," said Margie, a frown on her face.

"Muggleborns, then," said Malfoy. "Kirke's not a wizarding name."

"Our parents were witch and wizard!" snapped Chris, looking angry.

"Halfblood, then" said Malfoy. "Or your parents were Muggleborn." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hand around riff-raff-"

"Excuse me,"interrupted Margie icily. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you don't think much of blood traitors and non-purebloods, do you?" Malfoy nodded. "Then why did you just offer friendship to Harry, who is a halfblood because his mother is-was Muggleborn?"

The pink tinge in his cheeks deepened. Malfoy scowled, then said curtly to Crabbe and Goyle, "Let's go."

When they were gone, Margie pulled out her wand, breathing heavily. "That annoying little prat!" She paced the compartment for a moment, then snapped, "Harry, give me your glasses." Harry surprised, did so. Margie tapped it with her wand and muttered, "_Reparo_!" The Sellotape fell off, the glasses mended. She handed them back to Harry and said, "That calmed me down. No need for thanks."

Harry put on his glasses and then had to tell Ron about his meeting with Malfoy in Diagon Alley. Ron then told him what he had heard about the Malfoy family. Chris and Margie exchanged disguisted looks when Ron said that the Malfoys claimed to have been bewitched by You-Know-Who.

Hermione came in then and told them to change into their robes, for she'd been up to see the conductor, who said they were nearing Hogwarts. She left after and the four in the compartment pulled on thier robes over their clothes.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." The four crammed the last of the sweets in their pockets and waited anxiously.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students andChris and Margieheard a familiar voice: "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" Hagrid smiledand said hello toMargie and Chirs, then asked Harry if he was all right.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was very dark on both sides, which meant there were probably trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Margie, Chris, Ron, and Harry took a boat.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the castle overhead.

It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which had a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

Author's Note: A few parts of this chapterare taken from the Philsopher's Stone. Eleanor, Lily Potter, Alice Longbottom, and Dorcas Meadowes are not the female versions of the Marauders. They may have used Eleanor's invisibilty cloak a few times, but they didn't cause mayhem like the Marauders did. They only played a few pranks to get back at the Marauders for pranking them. Harry will still get his father's invisibilty cloak, though he and Ron will use Margie and Chris' cloak to get to the trophy room for the midnight duel.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Professor McGonagall met the students in the entrance hall. She gave Chris and Margie a tiny smile, then became her usual severe self as she lectured the first years. She explained that they would soon be sorted into one of four houses. They would spend time with their housemates and were informed that their triumphs would earn them points for their house, while any rule-breaking would lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points would win the House Cup. She finally ended by asking the students to wait until it was time for the Sorting and to please tidy up a bit. Her gaze rested on Neville and Ron for a couple of seconds.

Hermione was whispering nervously to herself over the Sorting. Margie heard her and quickly explained the Sorting. Hermione smiled back at Margie and thanked her for the information. "What house do you want to be in?" asked Hermione.

"Gryffindor," replied Margie. "My mother and grandparents were in Gryffindor, too."

Hermione looked even happier and opened her mouth to speak, when there was a loud gasp. The two girls turned to see about twenty ghosts come floating by. They were deep in discussion and Margie gathered from the bits she heard that it was about Peeves, the poligerist her mother had told her about.

Suddenly one of the ghosts, one in a ruff and tights, noticed the first years. Another ghost, whom Margie realized had to be the Fat Friar, the ghost for Hufflepuff, smiled and said, "New students! About to be sorted?" A few people nodded. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

Professor McGonagall came out and led everyone into the Great Hall. It was exactly how _Hogwarts, a History_ and Eleanor had described it. The room was brightly lit with thousands of candles floating in midair. The rest of the students sat around four long house tables, each laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. There was also a staff table, where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

A stool was placed in front of the first years and a pointed wizard's hat,patched, frayed, and dirty, put on top. A rip near the brim opened and the Sorting Hat began to sing. When it was over, there was applause, and then Professor McGonagall unrolled a roll of parchment and called the first name. "Abbott, Hannah."

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause - "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.Chris saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

Next was Bones, Susan, who also was sorted into Hufflepuff. Third was Boot, Terry, who went to Ravenclaw, and Mandy Brocklehurst followed him. Brown, Lavender was the first Gryffindor. The Weasley twins were catcalling as she joined the Gryffindors. Millicent Bulstrode was sorted into Slytherin and Margie thought she looked like a female version of Crabbe and Goyle.

The Sorting continued.Sometimes the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus", the sandy-haired boy that was next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor. Chris began to look impatient, while Margie was very anxious. True,descendantsof GodricGryffindorwould besorted into his house, but with her and Chris being descendants of Salazzar Slytherin as well, they could end up being sorted into Slytherin.

Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor and Margie grinned at her as she took of the hat and made her to the Gryffindor table.

After a few more names, Professor McGonagall called, "Kirke, Christopher." Chris made his way to the stool and placed the Hat on his head. A voice inside his mind said, _Now, this is interesting. A descendant of both Gryffindor and Slytherin. Where should I place you? You have a certain disregard for the rules at times, and you're ambitious. But you are also very brave and noble. And what's this? Intelligence and loyalty. This is very difficult, as you've got qualities of all the houses._

Chris thought back fiercely, _I want to be in Gryffindor, you blasted hat!_

_Hmmm, not very polite. Prehaps Slytherin would be the better choice._ the hat said, sounding a trifle amused.

_Oh no you don't!_ thought Chris. _Not Slytherin! Any house is better than Slytherin._

_Are you sure? Well, if you're sure, then you'll best be in-_"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat called the last word out to the hall. Chris, very relieved, took off the hat and joined the Gryffindor table. Fred and George clapped him on the back befoe he sat down.

Next was Margie. She calmly sat down on the stool and placed the Hat on her head. _Twin sister of the previous student, eh? Quite interesting. Now, where shall I place you. Like your brother, you've got qualities of all the houses._

_Please, sir, could I join my brother in Gryffindor? _asked Margie politely in her mind.

_Well, you're much more polite_ _than he was. The only other people to call me sir were two girls named Lily Evans and Crystal Parker. Hmm, you're not as suited for Slytherin as your brother was, so I guess I shall sort you into-_GRYFFINDOR!"

Margie took of the hat and joined the Gryffindor table amid loud applause. Chris gave her a relieved smile and on the other side, Hermione whispered, "I'm glad we're in the same house, Margie."

"Me to," replied Margie. "I think we'll become great friends." Hermione grinned and they turned their attention back to the Sorting Hat, which was now sorting Neville Longbottom, the boy who had lost his toad. It took a long time with Neville, but in the end declared him a Gryffindor. He ran off, still wearing the Hat, and had to job back amid gales of laughter to give it to MacDougal, Morag.

After Morag waswas Draco Malfoy and he had barely placed the Hat on his head before shouting out "SLYTHERIN!" Looking pleased, he joined his cronies Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table.

Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson went to Slytherin and Padma Patil to Ravenclaw and her twin sister Paravti into Gryffindor. After sorting Sally-Ann Perks, it was Harry Potter's turn. The Hat took prehaps thirty seconds before declaring him a Gryffindor. The applause for him was the loudest yet. Fred and George were yelling "We got Potter!" and Percy shook Harry's hand as Harry sat down on Chris' other side. Chris and Margie congratulated him.

There weren't many people left to be sorted. Lisa Turpin went to Ravenclaw, and Dean Thomas, a black boy that was taller than Ron, was sorted into Gryffindor. Next was Ron Weasley, who looked green as he put the Hat on his head. It declared him a Gryffindor. He sat down next to Harry and Percy said pompously, "Well done, Ron," as Blaise Zabini was made a Slytherin.

The feast began, with Uncle Albus saying the words, "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Margie and Chris filled their plates with food and began eating. The new Gryffindors were introduced to Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, more commonly called Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. He was called that, for whomever had been the person to behead him hadn't done a proper job. After answering Seamus' question as to why he was nearly headless, he said that he hoped Gryffindor would win the house championship, for Slytherin had won the cup for six years in a row. He also said that the Slyhterin ghost, the Bloody Baron, was getting unbearable. Seamus asked how the Bloddy Baron had gotten covered in blood, but as Nearly Headless Nick had never asked, he couldn't give an answer.

After a few minutes, Margie and Hermione began a conversation, mostly concerning Hogwarts and their background. The only awkward moment was when Hermione asked about Margie's father. Margie gave the same answer Chris had given Harry and then said she didn't want to discuss it anymore. Hermione had turned red and quickly changed the subject.

When everyone had their fill, the remaining food disappeared, leaving the plates sparkling clean. Pudding and all manner of dessert food appeared. Individual plates filled again. During dessert, talk turned to people's families. Dean lived with his mother and stepfather, who were Muggles. Seamus was half and half, his mother being a witch and his father a Muggle. He added, "Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." There was laughter at that.

Neville was raised by his grandmother, a witch. Eleanor had told Margie and Chris about the Longbottoms. Two Death Eaters named Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange, had gone after Frank and Alice Longbottom to try to get information as to Voldemort's whereabouts. They had ended up torturing the Longbottoms into insanity; Their son, Neville, had been sent to live with his grandparents.

Margie and Chris exchanged looks as Neville recounted how his famly thought he was all Muggle for ages and how he hadn't done any magic until the age of eight. His Great-Uncle Algie had come around for tea and was holding him out an upstairs window when Great-Auntie Enid offered him a meringue. He'd accidentally let go and Neville had bounced down into the garden and out onto the road. When he'd gotten his Hogwarts letter, his family had been happy, for they'd been afraid he wasn't magic enough to come. Hios Great-Uncle Algie had been so pleased that he'd bought Neville his toad.

Margie looked sharply at Neville, then said in a whisper to Chris, "Neville's a good friend. And with some confidence, he'll be a great wizard. We'll have to be Neville's friend and help him so he can be good, Chris."

Chris nodded and whispered back, "I did get a vision where Neville was our friend."

Seamus then asked, "Margie, Chris, what about your family?"

The two exchanged looks, then Margie said, "Our parents are witch and wizard. And our maternal grandparents were magic as well."

"We don't know about our paternal grandparents, other than that one was a Muggle, since our father was a halfblood," added Chris. He spoke in a tone of voice that made it clear he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Parvati Patil nodded and said her family was magic, then asked about Hermione, who said she was Muggleborn. Chris turned to look at Harry and saw that he was asking Percy about the professors. Chris frowned when he saw Professor Snape look in Harry's direction for an instant. It wasn't a nice look and Chris remembered his mother telling him that Snape and James Potter hadn't gotten along in school.

Margie glanced at the staff table and saw that the Defense teacher, Professor Quirrell, was wearing a turban. She frowned at this and felt an even stronger aura of wrongness and dislike. When she'd first met Quirrell, she hadn't liked him and felt that he was untrustworthy. She immediately told Uncle Albus, who said that prehaps she was right, but couldn't exactly sack him for that. Now Quirrell felt even more untrustworthy and there seemed to be a hint of evil around him. As he was some distance away, Margie wasn't sure and would have to get close to him to see if there really was an aura of evil.

At last dessert disappeared as well and Dumbledore stood up.

"Ahem - just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked my Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

Chris and Margie exchanged looks again. Their godfather had told them that something would have to be protected at the school when they'd visited him in July. He hadn't given them further details and refused to answer any of their questions, saying that was between himself, the teachers involved in protecting it, and his friend. Unfortunately, he hadn't mentioned his friend's name.

"And now before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Margie and Chris noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he were trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"  
And the school bellowed:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. They encountered Peeves the poltergeist, who was flying invisibly with a bundle of walking sticks. Percy got Peeves to show himself by threatening to go to the Bloody Baron. Peeves was made to leave, though he dropped the sticks and winked at Margie and Chris as he left. The two had gotten on his good side during their visits to Hogwarts by supplying him ideas with mischief and being good-natured whenever he played a prank on them.

Percy warned then first years about Peeves, and they all finally they reached the protrait of the Fat Lady, who was in a pink dress. After giving the password, "Caput Darconis," the protrait swing forward, revealing the entrance hole. They all climbed in to the common room, which was a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Everyone went up to their separate dorms. In the first year girls' dorm, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were chattering excitedly. Hermione and Margie talked for a few minutes, then Margie went to write in her diary and Hermione to read a book.

In the first year boys' dorm, the six boys had pulled on their pyjamas and climbed into bed, too tired to talk. Chris got out quill, ink, and parchment, and began a letter to his mother, telling her that he, Margie, and Ron were in Gryffindor and that they were friends with Harry, also a Gryffindor. When he was done, he tied the letter to Wulfric, who was perched on the windowsill, and sent him out. After that, he went to bed too.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next morning, Chris went down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Ron, Harry, and Neville. As he knew the way, the four of them didn't get lost. Margie went down with Hermione, talking about the classes and teachers. Margie was able to tell Hermione what all the teachers were like. During breakfast, the mail arrived. Eleanor had sent a package and letter via her owl, Dorcas. The letter congratulated the twins on getting into Gryffindor, sent her regards to Harry and Ron, and wished them all well. The package contained a tin with a large batch of biscuits for the twins to share with their friends.

Classes began after breakfast. Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall was very interesting. She was very strict and gave the class a talking to, saying that anyone who misbehaved would leave and not return. Then she turned her desk into a pig and back again. Everyone was very impressed until they learned they weren't ready to do things like that. The class had to take a great deal of notes, then were each given a match and told to try to turn into a needles. By the end of class, only Chris, Margie, and Hermione had managed it. Professor McGonagall gave them a rare smile, showed the class how well they had done, and awarded them ten points.

In Charms class, Professor Flitwick, a tiny man who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk, took the register. When he reached Harry's name, he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Three times a week, the Gryffindors had Herbology with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses behind the castle. On Wednesday nights was Astronomy, and the most boring class was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns, a ghost. He was easily the most boring teacher and rumor had it that he had fallen asleep by the staff fire one day and his ghost had gotten up as usual to teach. Defense of Dark Arts was a bit of a joke. Professor Quirrell was afraid of his own subject, apparently, and his classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back and getting him one of these days.

He said his turban was given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but when Seamus Finnigan asked him how he had gotten rid of it, Quirrell turned pink and began talking about the weather. There was also a funny smell that hung around the turban and Margie was very suspicious of it. The first Defense class had confirmed that there was an aura of evil around Quirrell and she felt that he was hiding something with the turban. Chris didn't trust Quirrell either, and had a vision of him walking around the corridor that was out-of-bounds.

Students kept whispering and staring at Harry whenever he walked by, which Margie and Chris found annoying, as they were usually with him. Harry obviously found this annoying as well, though he didn't say anything. Peeves was also exceedingly annoying, though he left Margie and Chris alone, and after a few words with them, Ron, Harry, Neville, and Hermione.

As Chris and Margie knew their way around, they didn't get lost except once when the staircase they were on turned and they ended up in an unfamilar hall. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville had been with them so as to not get lost, and the six of them found a locked door that turned out to be forbidden corridor. Filch and his cat, Mrs Norris, found them and thought they were breaking the rules.

Margie said sweetly, "We're very sorry, Mr. Filch, You see, the staircase we were on turned and we got lost. We didn't know where we were and hoped that this door would lead us to where we were going. If we knew that this corridor was the out-of-bounds one, we wouldn't have tried to get in." Filch blinked at her.

"I suppose it was just a honest mistake," Filch growled finally. "All right, you six can go. Now, shoo!"

They scurried away. After awhile, Ron asked in an awed voice, "How did you do that, Margie? We got off from Filch, of all people!"

"You know Chris and I have been to Hogwarts before when we were visiting our godparents," replied Margie. "We met all the staff and decided to get on Filch's good side. He does have a small bit of niceness in him and accepted us. And we set out make friends with Mrs. Norris, which also helped."

"Who are your godparents?" asked Hermione curiously. "I know they must be teachers at the school."

"Uncle Albus-I mean, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall," answered Chris. "Don't go around telling people, okay? Mum doesn't like others that aren't our friends knowing. Some people could get jealous that the greatest wizard ever since Merlin and the Headmaster of Hogwarts was our godfather. And some would call us teacher's pet or think McGonagall was favoring us just becfasue she's our godmother." They all promised not to tell.

On Friday, Dorcas turned up with another package and letter. The letter included two wizarding photographs and a note for Harry. It read:

_Dear Harry, _

_My children have written saying you don't know very much about your parents and that you don't have any pictures of them. You are welcome to write to me and have all your questions about them answered. Oh, and I have included two photos I have found of your parents. One is a wedding picture. In the center are your parents. Next to them are Sirius Black, the best man and your father's best friend, and me, the bridesmaid and one of your mother's best friends. The other is a picture I secretly took of your parents while they were on a date in Hogsmeade, the wizarding village near Hogwarts. They are having tea at Madam Puddifoot's on Valentine's Day. Lily thought the place cute, but James didn't. He was angry at my taking the picture until Lily calmed him down. If I find any more pictures, I'll send them to you._

_Yours truly, Eleanor Kirke_

_P.S. You may address me as Aunt Eleanor like the Weasleys do._

Chris read the note as Harry gazed at the pictures. After a few minutes, he said in a soft voice, "That was really nice of your mum, Chris and Margie. Tell her thank you."

"Tell her yourself," said Margie cheerfully. She handed Harry a quill and some parchment. "Write your thank-you, then send it off with Dorcas or your owl. Oh, here comes Hedwig and Wulfric."

Both owls dropped a note from Hagrid, inviting Harry, Margie, and Chris to tea. They were welcome to bring their friends. Chris wrote that they accepted so Harry could write his thank-you note and sent the reply off with Wulfric. A few minutes later, Hedwig flew off with Harry's note, following Dorcas.

It was a very good thing that they had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, since Potions with Professor Snape turned out to be terrible. He wasn't evil, but he was very unpleasant and hated all students that weren't in Slytherin. He especially hated Harry, because of his bad relationship in school with James Potter.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science, and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Chris frowned, and Margie wished she were elsewhere.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione instantly raised her hand, while Harry gave Ron a puzzled look. Chris whispered, "It makes the Draught-" but was cut off by Harry saying, "I don't know, sir."

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. Margie hissed, "It's in the stomach of a goat."

Harry then repeated in a louder voice, "It's in the stomach of a goat, sir."

Snape looked disappointed as he said, "Correct. A beozar can also save you from most poisons. Now, what is difference between wolfsbane and monkshod, Potter?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the ceiling. Chris whispered, "There's no difference. It's also called aconite."

Harry said, "There is no difference. It is-" Then realizing the meaning of what Chris had whispered, said, "It's the same plant, sir. It is also known as aconite."

Snape looked very sour as he snapped, "Correct. As for the first question, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. Everyone, copy it down! Oh, and a point shall be taken from Gryffindor House for not knowing the answer to the first question, Potter."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Chris kicked him and hissed, "Don't, or he'll take off more points or give you detention."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them mixing up a simple potion to cure boils, ordering everyone not to talk outside of the pairs. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone, except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He tried to criticize the potion Margie and Hermione were working on, but couldn't find anything to criticize for they were meticulous and both were good at Potions.

He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Chris' cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.

Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Chris. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Margie jumped down from her stool and protested, "But Professor, Harry was busy working on his potion! And furthermore, you told us not to talk to other pairs. So if Harry had noticed what Neville was doing, he couldn't have said any-"

"Silence!" barked Snape, angrier ever. "Miss Kirke, you are to never protest my methods. Your godmother may allow it, but I won't. And being Professor Dumbledore's goddaughter won't save you from punishment. A point from Gryffindor and you have detention with me tonight, Miss Kirke. Everyone, back to work!"

"Professor Snape, you know you're not supposed to broadcast who I'm the goddaughter of!" snapped Margie, looking angry.

"I can say what I want to say, Miss Kirke," said Snape coldy. "Five points from Gryffindor."

"Prehaps, but Mother and Professor Dumbledore informed you you were to keep it quiet," retorted Margie, ignoring Hermione's alarmed look and whisper to just be quiet.

"Another detention, Miss Kirke!" barked Snape. "And now hold your tongue unless you wish to make it fifty points from Gryffindor and a week's detention."

Margie sat down, looking angry. Hermione whispered, "Calm down, Margie. I know Professor Snape is unfair, but you really shouldn't have talked back to him. Now you've got two detentions."

"Hermione Jane Granger, I shall calm down when I feel like it!" snapped Margie in a whisper. "I hate Snape!"

"Margery Alice Lily Kirke, if you don't stop, you'll break something or ruin our potion," returned Hermione fiercely.

At the use of her full name, Margie suddenly calmed down. "Sorry, Hermione." The finished their potion perfectly and after, class was dismissed.

In the hall, Seamus asked Margie in an awe voice, "Is Dumbledore really your godfather?"

"Yes, Seamus," responded Margie, getting annoyed. "I don't want to talk about it."

She started to walk briskly away when Malfoy's drawling voice said, "What'd your parents do to get that old fool Dumbledore to be your godfather, Kirke?"

Margie whirled around and snapped, "Bug off, Draco Malfoy! And my parents didn't do anything! Mother just asked Uncle Albus if he wanted to be godfather and he said yes. Now just shut your big fat mouth and mind your own business. Why don't you just write to your Death Eater father and plot ways to bring Voldemort back into power?"

Malfoy turned a bit pink and gasped, "Don't say the name!"

"Oh, are you afraid to say the name of the dark and evil wizard your father serves?" taunted Margie. She hadn't been able to vent her temper on Snape and now did so on Malfoy.

Harry and Hermione rushed to her side. "Calm down, Margie," said Hermione, while Harry looked concerned.

Margie ignored her. "You are nothing more than an egolistical, spoiled blockhead, Malfoy! I suggest you get out of my sight before I really lose my tmeper and do something I might regret, like hanging you upside down and turning your robes red and gold."

"You can't do it!" snapped Malfoy. "You're only a first year!"

"Oh, really?" said Margie sweetly. "I do know some spells." She pulled out an Every Falvour Bean from her pocket and said, "Now, go away and leave me alone." When he didn't move, she sighed and pointed her wand at him, saying, "_Waddawasi_!" The bean went zooming into the air and lodged itself in Malfoy's left nostril. He scurried away with Crabbe and Goyle after him, muttering curses under his breath.

Ron and Harry looked impressed, but Hermione looked worried. "You shouldn't have done that, Margie."

"Look, Hermione, when I'm angry, I have to find an outlet in magic. Or read a soothing book. Ah, Chris and Neville are here. Let's all go visit Hagrid. Neville, are you all right?"

"Yes," responded Neville. "Madam Pomfrey took care of the boils with a spell and potion. Chris stayed to make sure I was all right."

Chris looked at Margie. "You didn't lose your temper again, did you?" She didn't answer, so Ron, Harry, and Hermione began explaining the incident with Malfoy. Chris thought it funny, though did agree with Hermione that Margie needed to keep a leash on her temper.

Hagrid welcomed the six inside his house. Fang, his enormous black boarhound, barked happily and licked Chris' and Margie's hands and Ron's ears. Ron, Neville, and Hermione were introduced as Hagrid began pouring tea and setting a plate of rock cakes on the table.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spend half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest. And Neville, I remember your parents. They were good people. Too bad..." He trailed off as Neville began to look uncomfortable.

Ron wanted to know more about Neville's aprents, so Neville, in a very small voice, explained that his parents were in St. Mungo's after being tortured into insanity. Ron instantly was horrifed and apoligized constantly for asking.

Hagrid then changed the subject by asking about classes. When he heard what happened in Potions class, he said, "That wasn't right o' Professor Snape. He's bin told not to go 'round tellin' who your godfather is. An' don't worry, Harry. Professor Snape likes hardly any o' students. An' he an' yer dad didn't get along very well when they were in school, anyway."

Harry sighed as Hagrid asked Ron about his brother Charlie. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. Chris moved closer to Harry so he could read it as well. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST  
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown.  
Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. "But we're not telling what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon._

"Hagrid!" said Harry. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Hagrid grunted and offered him another rock cake. Chris and Margie exchanged looks. Dumbledore had said that something was being hidden at Hogwarts for protection. Prehaps the Gringott's break-in had something to do with it.

When they returned to the castle for dinner, Margie and Chris told the others what Dumbledore had told them. Harry told them about the vault Hagrid had emptied, if you could call it that. They talked about it all throught dinner, until it was time for Margie's detention. Her detention wasn't very pleasant. She had to scrub out the dungeons and about twenty cauldrons. Finally, close to midnight, she was allowed to return to the Gryffindor Tower. Margie tiredly transformed into her cat shape so she wouldn't have to run into a teacher or Filch and explain why she was wandering the corridors.

Chris and Hermione was waiting up for her and asked how the detention had been. They sympathised with Margie, and Chris handed her a mug of hot chocolate. After awhile, Chris went up to his dorm and Margie and Hermione to theirs.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The next day, during breakfast, Professor Snape received a Howler from Eleanor. He had no choice but to open it in the Great Hall, as it was starting to smoke by the time he had removed it from Dorcas' leg.

_"SEVERUS SNAPE, HOW DARE YOU! PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE INFORMED ME YESTERDAY THAT YOU TOLD YOUR FIRST YEAR POTIONS CLASS WHO MY CHILDREN'S GODFATHER WAS WHEN YOU WERE TELLING OFF MARGERY. I AM MOST DISGUSTED WITH YOU, FOR PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE AND I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO REVEAL THAT INFORMATION, LEST CERTAIN PEOPLE BECOME JEALOUS OR TRY TO USE MY CHILDREN'S INFLUENCE. YET YOU HAD TO DISOBEY US. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE ANGRY AT THE TIME, BUT IT IS NO EXCUSE! IF YOU DO SOMETHING OF THIS SORT AGAIN, I WILL PETITION PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE TO HAVE YOU SACKED. IF YOU TAKE OFF POINTS FROM ANY HOUSE OR TRY TO GIVE ANYONE DETENTION AS A RESULT OF THIS HOWLER, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU RECEIVE A HOWLER EVERY WEEK. HAVE A NICE DAY, SEVERUS."_

The voice ended and the scarlet envelope turned into ash. Most of the students present were laughing at Snape getting a Howler. Margie quickly told Hermione and Harry about Howlers.

Professor Snape got up and headed for the Gruffindor table. "Miss Kirke, you are to tell your mother not to send a Howler again. Wipe those smirks off your faces, Weasley and Kirke. Five points-" He then cut himself off and strode angrily out of the Great Hall.

Several days later was the first flying lesson. During breakfast, Chris got a vision of Neville falling off his broom. He stopped eating to inform Neville, "Don't be so nervous about flying. I'm sure you'll do well." This was to hopefully calm Neville down so he wouldn't end up fulfilling the vision.

Hermione gave Chris an annoyed look, for he had interrupted her telling Neville the flying tips she had gotten from reading_ Quidditch Through the Ages_. He quickly apoligized and returned to his breakfast. A couple of minutes later, the mail arrived. Neville's grandmother had sent him a Remembrall, which would turn red whenever he forgot something. It turned red while he was explaining it to the others and he began trying to remember what it was he had forgotten. Malfoy happened to turn up then and grabbed the Remembrall. Ron and Harry stood up, but Aunt Minerva, who could spot trouble faster than any other teacher, was there in a flash. Neville said that Malfoy had his Remembrall, and Malfoy was forced to return it, saying that he was just looking.

At three-thirty that afternoon, all the first year Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for the first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, strode out. After introducing herslef, she asked everyone to hold their hand over a broom and say "up". Margie's broom flew up to her hand at once, and so did Chris' and Harry's. Ron's followed a second later, and so did Malfoy's. Hermione's broom only rolled a bit in the grass, and Neville's broom didn't move at all. There was a quaver in his voice that said he wanted to keep hos fet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then had everyone mount their brooms, showing the students how not to fall off the end and correcting their grips. Margie and Chris were delighted to hear her correct Malfoy's grip, saying he had done it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madame Hooch's lips. Chris had tried to stop him, but his attempt failed and he resigned himself to having his vision come true.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet.

Chris and Margie saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and - WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay, face down, on the grass in a heap.

His broomstick was still rising higher and higher and started to drift lazily towards the Forbidden Forest and out of sight.  
Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Margie heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?" The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry babies, Parvati."

"Neville isn't a crybaby!" snapped Margie. "It's quite natural for someone to cry when their wrist is pain from being broken, Pansy!"

Pansy opened her mouth to make a retort, but Malfoy spoke first. "Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

Everyone stopped talking to watch. Malfoy smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect - how about - up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt on to his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well - hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her and took off. Margie looked anxious, but Chris appeared calm. He whispered to her, "Don't worry. I just got a vision that everything will turn out all right. Remember Mum telling us that James Potter was a brillant flyer?"

"So you mean Harry inherited his father's flying talent?" asked Margie, looking relieved. Chris nodded and the two turned their attention to Harry, who was flying excellently. After a few minutes, Malfoy seemed to have gotten cold feet, for he tossed the Remembrall into the air and went streaking toward the ground. Harry, however,turned out to be seeker material, for he managed to catch it after a fifty foot dive, about a foot from the ground. Unfortunately, Aunt Minerva turned up at this juncture, face white with fury.

"HARRY POTTER!" she shouted, running towards him. "Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -" Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your neck -"

"Aunt Min-I mean Professor, it wasn't his fault," began Margie. "Malfoy-"

"Please be quiet, Miss Kirke," said Aunt Minerva. "Potter, follow me now."

Madam Hooch came back ten minutes later and the flying lesson resumed. Nobody fell off his or her broom this time. Margie would have had fun flying, except she was very worried about Harry. He wasn't going to be expelled, of course, but he would at the very least get a detention and prehaps lose points. Hermione didn't look very happy at all and was very curt toward Ron and Chris, who were talking about how brillant Harry was at flying.

When the lesson ended, Chris and Margie went to the Hispital Wing to see Neville. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, had mended the break quickly, but he was being kept in the Hoisptial Wing for a a few hours to make sure it was all right and would work fine. After that, the twins had their weekly tea with Uncle Albus. He had told them that they could still call him 'Uncle Abus' in private, but around other students or the teachers that it had to be "Professor."

Chris had just asked Uncle Albus to give then some clues as to what was being hidden at the school when Aunt Minerva walked in. "Excuse me, Albus, but I would like to ask your permission to bed the first year rule and let Harry Potter be seeker for the Gryffindor team." She then noticed the twins and said, "Oh, hello, Chris and Margie."

"Harry's going to be seeker, Aunt Minerva?" asked Margie, surprised and pleased for Harry. "So he's not in trouble?"

"As long as he trains hard, he isn't," said Aunt Minerva with a smile. "Now, Albus, do I have your permission?"

"You do, Minerva," said Uncle Albus. "I'm sure he'll play as admirably as his father."

"Thank you, Abus," answered Aunt Minerva. "Chris, Margie, don't tell anyone else about this. Don't discuss it with anyone other than Harry and your other friends. Oliver Wood, he's the captain, and I don't want everybody knowing. Could the two of you leave now? I have some private things to discuss with Albus. And I also have to see about getting Mr. Potter a decent broom."

Margie and Chirs left. At dinner, Harry told Ron about his being seeker and told him not to tell anyone else. Fred and George, who were beaters on the Gryffindor team, came over and congratulated Harry. Then they left, saying something about their friend Lee Jordan having found a new passageway out of school.

When the Weasley twins ahd left. Malfoy turned up, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"I'd take you on any time on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling round. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.  
"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."  
When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.  
"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "but people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

Margie looked outraged. "Harry Potter, don't you even think of doing such an asinine thing! You'll lose Gryffindor points if you're caught! If Gryffindor hadn't needed a new seeker and Aunt Minerva wasn't such a Quidditch enthusist, you'd have been in trouble for flying!"

Chris just said, "Relax, Margie. I'll lend Ron and Harry our Invisibilty Cloak so they won't get caught."

"You will not!" snapped Margie. "If Mother knew, she'd have kittens. She and her friends never used the cloak for anything as idiotic as this! The most they did was sneak into the kitchens for food or prank the Marauders to get back at the pranks played on them."

Hermione joined in. "You really mustn't, Ron and Harry. Think of all the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught. And Margie and I just won all those points from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"It's really none of your business, Hermione," snapped Harry, annoyed.

"The only reason I put up with you is because I'm Margie's friend and she's friends with you," said Ron, who also looked annoyed.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I am shocked that you could be so rude!" exclaimed Margie. "It might not be Hermione's business what you do, but she has to right to advise you not to do something. If you're not going to get on my case, then you haven't the right to be on hers."

Ron muttered, "Sorry, Hermione," but he didn't sound very sorry. With a loud huff, Hermione got up and left the Great Hall. Margie gave him an annoyed look, then ran after Hermione.

Chris sighed. "Ron and Harry, Margie and Hermione do have a point. You could get caught and lose Gryffindor points. But I think you'll be fine if you use the Invisilbilty Cloak Mum gave me and Margie."

At half past eleven, Chris removed the Invisibilty Cloak from his trunk and handed it to Ron. He then saw them downstairs into the common room. Harry was just about to put the Cloak over him and Ron when Margie spoke. "I can't believe you're still doing this." She got up from the chair nearest them. "And Christopher James Remus Kirke, instead of talking them out of it, you're aiding and abetting Ron and Harry by lending them our Invisibility cloak! What would Mother say if she knew!"

Hermione got up from another chair and stood next to her. "I almost told Percy about it, but Margie said it would be best if we confronted you. Harry, you're so selfish! Don't you care about Gryffindor or the House Cup? I don't want Slytherin to win again!"

"It's none of your business, Hermione," snapped Ron, who looked more annoyed at Hermione than at Margie.

Hermione opened her mouth, but Margie cut her off. "Don't bother, Hermione. They'll not listen to you. Harry and Ron, I am coming with you to make sure you don't get into trouble." With that, she turned into her cat form.

The others were very surprised and Chris hastily explained about their being able to become Animagi without a great deal of learning due to being descendants of Gryffindor. Margie then changd back and said, "If I spot trouble, I will meow twice." She transformed back into cat and got out of the protrait hole with Chris opening it for her. Ron and Harry followed.

Chris was about to shut it again when Margie meowed twice. He held it open and peered out. A minutes later, Neville came in. Apparently he had forgotten the password and had been forced to stay outside. Chris led Neville to a chair and explained what Ron and Harry were doing. Neville looked worried and said he hoped they wouldn't get into trouble, then went upstairs ot bed.

At the trophy room, Margie turned back into human form and peered around. "Malfoy hasn't arrived yet." Just then, a bat swooped in, dropped Margie's wand, and landed, changing into Chris. "You guys better get out of here! It's a trap! I had a vision of Filch and Mrs Norris coming in and heard Filch tell his cat to sniff around. I think Malfoy tipped Filch off." He transformed back into a bat and flew off.

Margie was about to change into cat form when the door opened. Harry and Ron completely forgot about the Colak and took off running. Margie threw the cloak over herself and went after them. After running down numerous corridors, Peeves came out of an empty room. Margie took off the cloak and said, "Peeves, if you don't tell Filch or anyone else where we are, I'll give you some Dungbombs."

Peeves considered for a moment and agreed. The three continued down the corridor and reached a locked door. "Move over," snapped Margie. "_Alohomora!_" The door unlocked and they ran inside, with Margie transforming into cat and Ron and Harry throwing the cloak over them. Filch turned up a couple of minutes later and asked Peeves if he'd seen anything.

Peeves, in his annoying voice, said, "Shan;t say nothing till you say please." In the end, Filch did say please, but Peeves, cried out, "NOTHING! I told you I wouldn't say nothing till you said please," then zoomed away, cackling. Filch swore and began searching elsewhere.

Margie had begun looking around the room and suddenly froze. It had to be the forbidden corridor, for there was a giant three-headed dog standing on top of a trapdoor. The only reasin Margie spotted the trapdoor was because she was in cat form and therefore closer to the ground. The dog couldn't see Ron or Harry due to the Invisibility Cloak, but it could smell them and was nosing about. Margie instantly turned back into human and snapped, "Get out of this room now! It's the forbidden corridor!"

Ron and Harry presumably turned and saw the three-headed dog, for they gasped and then the door was flung open. Margir ran out after them and they ran all the way back to Gryffindor Tower, thankfully not running into Filch along the way. One at the protrait of the Fat Lady, they gave the password, "Pig Snouth," then went inside. Hermione and Chris were waiting for them and Margie told them what had happened as soon as she could speak. Ron and Harry were to frightened to speak at the moment.

She had gotten to the three-headed dog when Ron said, "If any animal needs exercise, that one does."

Margie gave him a look. "Well, I was in cat form and I saw that it was standing on a trapdoor. Uncle Albus told Chris and me that something was being hidden at Hogwarts. And you know what Harry told us about Hagrid removing that obhect from the vault. So it's obvious that the Cerebus spawn is hiding something."

"What's Cerebus?" asked Harry, looking puzzled.

Margie gave a very loud and impatient sigh. "Cerbus is the three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld in Greek mythology, Harry! Honestly, don't you ever read?" She then winced and said, "Sorry, Harry. The night's events have made me a bit cranky. U'm going up to bed. Come on, Hermione. Oh, and Chris, thanks for warning us." After a few minutes, Chris, Harry, and Ron went up to bed as well.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter six

After the incident over the midnight duel, Hermione stopped speaking to Harry and Ron. If she had anything to say to them, she asked Margie or Chris to tell them. After the third time, Margie lost her patience. "Hermione Jane Granger, I am not a bloody owl! And I do not care to play the game Telephone. If you have anything to say to Harry or Ron, tell them yourself instead of asking me."

About a week later, Harry's new broom arrived. The note Professor McGonagall had written told Harry not to open the package, that it contained his new Nimbus Two Thousand, and that he was to meet Wood that night for practice. Harry and Ron rushed out the Great Hall not long after to put the wrapped broom away. On the way to class, Chris noticed that Hermione was in a huff. When he asked what was wrong, she snapped, "Those two think the broom is some sort of reward for breaking rules!"

"If Harry wasn't such a great flyer, he would have gotten in trouble," pointed out Chris. "Aunt Minerva let him off only because she wants Gryffidnor to win at Quidditch. Slytherin has won for several years, you know." Hermione shrugged and didn't answer.

Halloween arrived and Hogwarts was quite excited about it. That morning in Chamrs, Professor Flitwick taught them the Levitation Charm, _Wingardium Leviosa_. Margie was paired with Harry and Chris with Neville, but infortunately Ron and Hermione were together. Hermione found fault with Ron's pronounciation, saying that he needed to make the 'gar' nice and long. Ron got mad and told her that if she was so smart, she could do it herself. Hermione did so and succeeded admirably. Professor Flitwick applauded her efforts, which made Ron even more sour.

Meanwhile, Chris and Margie levitaited their feathers not long after Hermione. Harry couldn't get his feather to move at all, and after some words of confidence from Chris, Neville succeeded in levitating his feather a few centimeters for about two seconds. Neville's face was flushed with pleasure at his success.

When class ended, Ron was in a very nad temper. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry, Chris, and Margie as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Chris as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. He caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears. "I think she heard you," said Chris, frowning at Ron.

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable.

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. Margie went looking for her during the break and discovered that she was crying the girls' lavatory. When she tried to talk with Hermione, she was waved off. "I want to be left alone!" snapped Hermione through her tears. Margie patted Hermione's back, then quietly slipped out the bathroom.

On the way to the Great Hall for the feast, Margie confronted Ron. "You are such an insensitive moron! That comment you made about Hermione being a nightmare was the last straw for her! She's currently in the girls' loo crying her eyes out and wants to be left alone!"

Ron looked extremely awkward and muttered, "I'm sorry. She was being annoying."

"That's not an excuse," said Chris. "And you were wrong about saying that no one could stand her. Neville, Margie, and I do."

Halfway through the feast, Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped. "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

Margie frowned suspiciously. Why hadn't Quirrell been at the feast, and how in the world did he know a troll had gotten into the dungeons? The aura of evilness seemed stronger around him and she wondered if he was up to something. Meanwhile, pandamonium had broken out. Professor Dumbledore restored order and asked the prefects to lead the students back to the dormatories immediately.

Percy was in his element. "Follow me! Stick together, first-years! no need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first-years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a Prefect!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."

"I don't think so," said Margie. "I have this feeling that Quirrell had something to do with it."

"Really?" asked Neville. "How do you know? Never mind, it must be your gift. What about Hermione?"

Chris gasped. "You're right, Neville! Hermione doesn't know about the troll! We have to rescue her." The five of them hurried for the girls' toilets. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.

Margue and Chris turned into cat and bat forms, while Harry, Ron, and Neville hid behind a large stone griffen. Snape crossed the corridor, then disappeared from view. Margie and Chris followed and saw that he was heading for the third floor corridor. They returned to the others and transformed back. "Snape's going to the forbidden corridor," said Chris.

"But I don't get any feelings of evil from him, so I don't think he's after what the Cerebus spawn is guarding," added Margie.

Ron suddenly held up his hand. "Wait, do you smell something?"

Chris sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. And then they heard it - a low grunting and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed: at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving towards them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

"The key's in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

Chris shook his head. "Not a good idea. I just got a vision, and I believe the room is the girls' toilets, where Hermione is."

The others gasped and rushed toward the door just as there was a piercing scream. They ran inside to find that Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she were about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. "Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and seizing a tap he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout towards Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it. Chris was trying to get Hermione to move, but she was too frozen with fear to do so. Margie tried to think of spells to use against the troll but the only ones she could think of were _Alohomora_, which was of no use in this situation, and _Expelliarmus_, which she didn't know how to do yet. She tried to do the spell anyway, but it didn't work.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, joining Chris in his efforts to get Hermione to move.

Neville grabbed another tap and threw it at the troll, yelling, "Go away!" The troll blinked and turned away from Ron, walking toward Neville instead. Margie grabbed another metal pipe and threw it at the troll. It turned toward Margie, who waved her wand at it and shouted "_Expelliarmus!_" repeatedly, which had no effect, other than to drive the troll beserk. It roared again and started towards Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape. Chris turned into a bat and flew around its head, hoping to distract it. The troll merely waved Chris way.

Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid. He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off of catch him a terrible blow with the club.

Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knowing what he was going to do, he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, on to its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.  
It was Hermione who spoke first. "Is it - dead?"

"I don't think so," said Chris, transforming back into human abd bending over the troll. "I think it's just been knocked out." Harry bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.

"Urgh - troll bogies." He wiped it on the troll's trousers.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Aunt Minerva had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart. Snape bent over the troll.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" asked Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Margie said in a tiny voice, "Aunt-I mean Professor, we remembered that Hermione-" She broke off, uncertain of how to explain things.

Hermione said in a small voice, "Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last. "I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Neville, Margie, and Chris confused it, Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they had arrived."

The others tried to look as if this story wasn't new to them.

"Well - in that case ..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the six of them. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?" Hermione hung her head. "Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for that," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you are not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses." Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned to the others. "Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else. "Well, we won Gryffindor twenty-five points," said Neville finally.

"Twenty, you mean, once Aunt Minerva's taken off Hermione's," corrected Margie.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Pig snout," they said and entered. The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them.

There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks", and hurried off to get plates. But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became Ron and Harry's friend as well, not just Margie, Chris, and Neville's friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The next day after the troll incident, Athena attacked Scabbers in the Gryffindor common room. Scabbers was just able to run away into Ron's hand and Margie grabbed Athena. "Stop that! Ron, sorry about Athena attacking Scabbers. I know cats chase rats, but she doesn't need to go around trying to eat the pets of my friends. Athena Cat, if you keep this up, I'll send you right back to Mother."

About a week after the troll incident, Chris and Margie received a letter from their mother saying that their grandmother was ill and to please visit her. As it was Saturday, they were able to Floo directly to their grandmother's house from Aunt Minerva's office. Milly, one of their Grandma Elizabeth's two house elves, met them as they tumbled out of the fireplace. "Lady Elizabeth and Lady Eleanor are waiting for you, Miss Margie and Mr. Chris." She led them to Grandma Elizabeth's bedroom. Milly and Tizzy, the two house elves, were not been allowed to say Master and Mistress, since Grandma Elizabeth didn't like it. However, she couldn't get the house elves to call her by name, so had settled for Lady Elizabeth instead.

Grandma Elizabeth had been told the truth right after Voldemort's downfall. She had been overjoyed to find out that her daughter was alive, not dead, and was happy to have twin grandchildren. She didn't care a bit that they were Voldemort's children and knew about the prophecy concerning them. She visited every year at Easter and Christmas, and the twins spent three weeks every summer with her.

Grandma Elizabeth sat propped up in bed, with Eleanor sitting in a chair next to her. "Hello, Chris and Margie," said Grandmother Elizabeth. She smiled, then coughed. "I didn't tell you when you visisted this summer, but I have cancer. I know I will die soon. In a week, in fact. Every woman in my family has been able to accurately predict the time of their death. At least my parents didn't consider that a curse from the Devil."

"What do you mean by that, Grandma?" asked Chris curiously.

"I never did tell you about my parents, did I? Well, they said they were Christians, but they didn't really act like ones. Their view was that the Jews were responsible for Jesus' death, when it was really our sins that caused it. They approved of what Hitler was doing to the Jews during World War Two. Also, they had a very Medevil attitude toward witches. They would have carried out that verse in the Old Testament, 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,' if it weren't for the fact that people didn't go around burning witches anymore and that they'd be arrested for breaking one of the Ten Commandments, 'Thou shalt not murder.' They were certainly not pleased when I got my Hogwarts letter and Professor Dumbledore showed up to explain that magic was real and where to get the Hogwarts supplies.

My parents threw a fit and ordered Professor Dumbledore to leave. I took the view that my being a witch was a gift from God, but my parents saw it was a curse from the Devil. When I insisted on attending Hogwarts, my parents disowned me. I did attend Hogwarts, but I had to use the special fund that Hogwarts has for those who can't pay for their school things. I met your grandfather and great-aunt there. Your great-aunt was my best friend there and I ended up spending my holidays with her and her family. Her parents considered me a second daughter. Her brother, your grandfather, was a year older and we ended up falling in love when I was in fifth year and he in sixth. We got married a year after I graduated. As for my parents, I tried to see them when they were dying, but they refused to see me."

"How horrible!" gasped Margie. "Well, you got a nice family who appreciated and loved you, Grandma."

Grandma Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, Margie." She coughed again, then continued, "Both you are intelligent and good granchildren to me. After I'm gone, study hard, live as good Christians, and someday help Harry Potter defeat Voldemort. And someday, at least a hundred years from now, you two will join me in Heaven and we will be together again. And Crystal, you may want to reveal yourself someday. And not just when Voldemort is defeated once and for all. It will be necessay, I forsee. And I suggest you contact your old friend Remus Lupin. You know, the boy you dated in your fifth year until he convinced you to break it off because it was dangerous for you to be dating a werewolf, in his opinion, and because he thought you would be more compatible with Sirius."

"He was right, then," said Eleanor. "After telling Remus repeatedly that I didn't care he was werewolf didn't change his mind, I did turn to Sirius Black. But how in the world could Sirius just turn on Lily and James like that?"

"Crystal Mirabelle Parker, do not tell me you seriously believe that Sirius actually betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort. I have met him, and I have a very good judge of character. I saw right away as a man who had a temper and wild side, but also a deep loyalty for his friends and loved ones and a willingness to die for them. I did not get that feeling from Peter Pettigrew. He was a person who was nice, but had the potential to be swayed to Voldemort's side due to his fondess for being near people with power."

"Mother, I do think it's highly unlikely that Sirius could sell out to Voldemort. But I just can't see Peter beeing the traitor."

"Wasn't Peter's Animagus form a rat?" demanded Grandma Elizabeth. "I have done some thinking for the past few weeks and realized something. Doesn't Percy Weasley have a rat named Scabbers?"

"He did, but after getting an owl for becoming prefect, he passed Scabbers on to Ron," said Margie.

"And when did Percy get that rat? About ten years ago, didn't he? And don't ordinary ones live for three years, four at the most? So how is Scabbers still alive? He should have been long dead."

"Mother, please don't tell us that you think Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew in his rat form," sighed Eleanor.

"I do think it," snapped Grandma Elizabeth. "They never found Peter's body, only his finger."

Chris gasped. "And Scabber's is missing one of his toes! Grandma, I think you are right."

Margie frowned. "And Athena attacked Scabbers on the train, and then in the common room a few days ago. I thought it was because all cats like to chase rats, but she was hissing and everything. Even after I threatened to send her to Mother if she kept misbehaving, she kept hissing at Scabbers. But she's not a kneazle, so how could she figure out if Scabbers is really an Animagus?"

"Maybe she's part one," said Grandma Elizabeth. "But that's not the point. If Scabbers really is Peter Pettigrew, then Sirius is innocent. If the fools at the Ministry had bothered to give him a trial or checked his sleeve for the Dark Mark or at least made him take some Veritserum, they could gotten the complete truth. But that idiotic Barty Crouch had to do things his way. I went to school with him. I don't know how he didn't get sorted into Slytherin. He was ambitious enough to be one. Instead he ended up in Ravenclaw. I suppose he talked the Sorting Hat into putting him in Ravenclaw. Or at least a house other than Slytherin."

She shook her head, then said, "Cornelius Fudge is no better. How he got the job after Millicent Bagnold retired is beyond me. Professor Dumbledore would make a much better Minister, but you know he never would leave Hogwarts. I suspect the only reason Fudge got into Hufflepuff was because he didn't want to be in Slytherin and wouldn't fit in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. He was a bumbling idiot in school and is still one now. If Voldemort were to rise to power again now, Fudge would probably deny his return unless he actually saw Voldemort. After I'm gone, check and see if that Scabbers is really Pettigrew. And contact Remus, Crystal. He thinks all his friends are dead, or in Sirius' case, abadoned him. Being a werewolf, he likely doesn't have any employment. I tried hiring him as my caretaker and in charge of my affairs once, but he refused. He saw right off that it was really charity, since I have house elves to take care of the house and grounds and a goblin in charge of my financial affairs. He's too proud, Remus is."

Margie nodded absentmindedly. She and Chris really didn't believe their grandmother on Scabbers possibly being Peter Pettigrew. They had only said the things they did to placate her and make her believe that they believed her. Grandma Elizabeth sighed, then asked her grandchildren to them about their life so far at Hogwarts. Chris began and Margie concluded, "And every Sunday, we attend service at the chapel on school grounds, Grandma. Reverend Mcintyre is a really good minister. Hermione's come with me a couple of times since her parents have taken her to church before. Chris hasn't invited Ron, Harry, or Neville to come with us yet. I think he feels akward bringing up church and the subject of his Christianity."

"Chris, you had better put that aside," said Eleanor. "You can't be a good missionary for Christ if you don't talk about him, either through words or your works. Besides, you have been friends with Ron for years and he does know you are Christian."

Grandma Elizabeth held up a hand. "Chris will get over his akwardness in time. In the meantime, Margie can invite Harry, Ron, and Neville to the chapel service. Now, I have a question to ask the two of you. Do you hate Voldemort?"

Margie and Chris exchanged looks. Chris finally replied, "We don't really hate him, since Jesus preached about loving your enemy and stuff and we try to follow that, Grandma. Let's just say we hate the things he did, not Voldemort himself."

"Very good. Love is a key force in helping Harry defeat Voldemort. If, for example, you converted Voldemort to Christianity, he would go back to being Tom Riddle. Voldemort would die, in a sense. Or prehaps, Voldemort, who does not feel love, will be overwhelmed with the power of love you two and Harry must have and could be defeated that way. I am not completely certain, but I do suspect love is the power that the 'Dark Lord knows not'."

"What, are Chris and me and Harry supposed to snog Voldemort to death, Grandma?" laughed Margie.

"You could kiss him on the cheek if he let you near, but that was not what I meant, Margery," said Grandma. The clock struck twelve. "All three of you, go out for some lunch. Tizzy will have finished making it. "

Late the next afternoon, Grandma Elizabeth said, "It's time you returned to Hogwarts, my grandchildren. Visit again next weekend, but don't come until after the Gryffindor-Slytherin match is over. I want to hear all about it. And Harry Potter better turn out to be as good as you say and win the match for Gryffindor."

The next Saturday was the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Harry was extremely nervous, as the news that he was Gryfindor's seeker had leaked out somehow and people were either telling him that he'd be brillant or that they'd be running around with a mattress under him. Margie and Chris of course told Harry that he would do well, but wished they could say something else as Harry would only feel that he had to live up to expectations. Chris had no visions regarding the match, which was fortunate to him as then the match wouldn't be spoiled for him if he knew the score beforehand or something.

Chris, Margie, Hermione, Ron, and Neville sat up in the stands with the other first year Gryffindors. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said _Potter for President_ and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Chris had added a portion of snake dangling from its mouth, as if it was eating it. Hermione and Margie then had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Right after Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor scored, Hagrid turned up and squeezed into a seat next to Hermione. Some minutes after that, the snitch was spotted. Harry and Slytherin seeker Terence Higgs went streaking after it. Harry had almost caught it when Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint purposely blocked Harry, who spun out of course and had to hold on for dear life. In the confusion, the snitch disappeared. Madam Hooch told off Flint and then ordered a penalty shot, while Dean shouted that Flint should be shown the red card and sent off like in football. (soccer) Chris had to remind Dean that it wasn't football, but agreed with him,

Lee Jordan, the Weasley twins' friend who was doing the commentary, found it difficult not to take sides, to Aunt Minerva's annoyance. Not long after, Margie was peering throught her binoculars at Harry when she gasped. "Something seems to be wrong with Harry's broom! It's bucking around, like it's trying to throw Harry off!"

Hermione grabbed the binoculars to look, but instead of looking at Harry, she scanned the crowd. "Oh no, Snape!"

Neville peered through his binoculars and saw that Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them, eyes fixed on Harry and muttering non-stop under his breath. Ron then had a look and saw the same thing. Chris' attention, however, was fixed on Quirrell a short distance away. "Have you thought that maybe it's not Snape? Quirrell also has his eyes on Harry, and he's muttering like Snape."

Ron turned to look at Chris. "But-I mean, Snape hates Harry! And he would want Slytherin to win."

Margie sighed impatiently. "How often do I have to tell you that the aura around Snape isn't one of evil while the one around Quirrell is? Quirrell's probably trying to jinx Harry's broom, but Snape's muttering the countercurse."

By this time, everyone had noticed Harry's jerking broom, especially when Harry swung off and dangled from it, holding on by one hand. Ron was still uncertain about Quirrell being after Harry, so in the end, Margie and Hermione went off to take care of both Snape and Quirrell. Hermione lit the hem of Snape's robes with her specialty, bright blue flames, while Margie knocked into Quirrell, making him fall into the row in front. It took prehaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize he was on fire. A sudden yelp told Hermione her job was done and she scooped the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket. Then she and Margie ran-Snape would never know what had happened.

Up in the air, it was enough and Harry was able to clamber back onto his broom. He was speeding towards the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick - he hit the pitch on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hand. "I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Harry hadn't broken and rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the result - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. In the meantime, Harry was being made a cup of strong tea in Hagrid's hut, with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Margie and Chris with him.

Hermione and Chris revealed how they had seen both Snape and Quirrell keeping eye conteact with Harry and muttering continously. Margie said she believed that Quirrell was jinxing the Nimbus, while Snape was saying the counterjinx. Chris, Hermione, Harry, and Neville believed Margie, mainly because of the aura of evil she perceived around Quirrell. Ron wasn't completely convinced, because of Snape's hatred toward of Harry and because Quirrell was a stuttering idiot.

"Ron!" admonished Hagrid. "Yeh shouldn't talk about yer teachers like that!"

Margie stood up, hand on her hips. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, you've known me ever since we were four. You know perfectly well that I can see other people's auras and judge what kind of people they are. I've told you at least a hundred times already that Snape doesn't have an aura of evil and therefore isn't out to kill Harry, while Quirrell has an aura of evil and probably up to no good. Uncle Albus knows and is keeping an eye on Quirrell to watch out for suspicious behavior. If you think that as Voldemort's child I can't see evil I-"

She realized what she just said and clapped her hand over her mouth, face red. Chris also turned red and gave his twin a Look. Hagrid, who had been occupied with pouring tea, hadn't heard the last sentence. Neville, Ron, Harry, and Hermione did, however.

Hermione recovered first and asked, "What do you mean, you're the child of You-"

"Not now!" hushed Margie. "Not in front Hagrid. Chris and I will explain later, once we're back in the castle."

The others quickly drained their tea right after that, then bid Hagrid a hasty good-bye and dragged Chris and Margie away. The twins had been told about the Room of Requirement by their mother, one of the few former Hogwarts students to know about it, so they took their friends there. The paced back and forth three times, thinking, _We need a private place to tell our friends a secret._ A door appeared and they entered, their friends behind them. Once the door shut and the lock turned, Chris quickly explained about the Room of Requirement. Then they all sat down on the sofas the Room had provided just as Ginny and Luna appeared. Ginny looked extremely puzzled, but Luna calm and serene.

"What's going on?" demanded Ginny. "One minute I'm in my bedroom reading, the next I'm right here."

"Prehaps a-" began Luna, but Chris cut her off. He explained about the Room of Requirement and that it must have brought them here since he and Margie had something to tell their friends and they saw Ginny and Luna as their friends as well. He then introdiced them to Harry, Neville, and Hermione and vice versa.

"Since I slipped up, I might as well start the explanation," said Margie. "But you can't ever tell anyone this. The only ones who know outside of us and Mother are Aunt Minerva and Uncle Albus. Promise that you will never tell anyone what we reveal." The others promised and Margie began. "First, our mother isn't really named Eleanor Kirke. It's really Crystal Parker."

"Hang on, I heard that name before," said Ron. "Dad said she was a witch killed by You-Know-Who. She was friends with your parents, Harry, and I think bridesmaid at their wedding. "

"Actually, she wasn't killed," said Margie. "The Killing Curse hit the jade medallion she was wearing under her robes and saved her life. She changed her name and everything after so Voldemort wouldn't try to go after her again."

"But what about you saying that you're the children of You-Know-Who?" asked Hermione.

Chris answered her. "Before Voldemort tried to kill Mum, he raped her. We weren't lying when we said our father left Mum before we were born and is believed by many to be dead. It just wasn't the complete truth."

"So You-Know-Who is your father," whispered Ginny. "But why did your mother decide to actually bear and keep you two?"

"One, she doesn't believe in abortion, and two, there was a prophecy made about us," responded Chris. "It said that the Dark Lord would attempt to kill a woman and fail. She would later give birth to his children, twins. The twins would then one day rise up and help the one born at the end of July and marked as the Dark Lord's equal defeat the Dark Lord."

Neville gasped. "I'm born at the end of July. I'm just not marked as the Dark Lord's equal. That would be Harry."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'm born at the end of July and apparently I am marked as Voldemort's equal. But then that means Voldemort will rise again and you will have to help me defeat him, Chris and Margie."

"There was a prophecy made about you as well, Harry," said Margie. "It said that a child born to parents who had thrice defied the Dark Lord at the end of July would be marked as the Dark Lord's equal. It could apply to both Harry and Neville, but Voldemort marked Harry."

Chris continued, "And apparently, neither can live while the other survives, which means you have to kill Voldemort, Harry, or he kills you. From the second prophecy made, it looks like you defeat him with our help. I-" He suddenly froze and then spoke in a harsh voice, not unlike the voice of Trelawney in the memory of her making the two prophecies. "**_The day will come when the Dark Lord comes back into power with the aid of a servant who escaped to him. The one marked as the Dark Lord's equal and the Dark Lord's daughter, the Wise one and the Dark Lord's son, the Clever one and the Strategist, and the Loyal one and the Forceful One will be bound. Together, with the power that the Dark Lord knows not, they will be able to fully defeat him._**"

He then blinked and stared at the shocked faces of the others. "What's the matter? I had this feeling that I blanked out for a moment."

Margie recovered first. "I think your gift of getting visions of the future has now resulted in your being able to make prophecies as well. You just made one, Chris." To prove it, she asked the Room to provide a Pensieve, then took out the memory of Chris making the prophecy. He sat, frozen, as he heard his voice speak.

"Okay, that's just freaky. Now I'm making prophecies like the Professor Trelawney. She's the Divination teacher here and the one who made those two prophecies, by the way." Chris watched as Margie put the memory back in her mind.

Hermione frowned. "Who are the people mentioned in the prophecy as helping Harry, Margie, and Chris fully defeat the Dark Lord?"

Margie snorted. "You're the clever one, Hermione, and you can't figure it out? It's quite obviously the rest of you guys."

Neville asked, puzzled, "How do you figure that out, Margie?"

"Hermione is the clever one, since she's so brainy. Ron's knows strategy, so he's the strategist. Neville, you're the loyal one. I'm guessing Ginny would have to be the forceful one, because she's quite forceful when she needs to be. Luna would be the wise one." Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Margie interrupted, "Wisdom and cleverness are two different things, Hermione."

Since that had been the point Hermione was going to ask about, she said "Oh," and shut her mouth.

"Why would Luna be the wise one?" asked Ron. "I mean, she is, well, sort of wierd. No offense, Luna." Luna shrugged and smiled.

"Beneath all the weird stuff she says or believes in, there's wisdom," replied Chris. "Haven't you noticed her, for lack of a better term, gift of speaking uncomfortable truths?" Ron nodded and Chris continued, "When Hermione's cleverness can't help us, Luna's wisdom can."

"_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_," said Luna in a sing-song voice. Only Chris, Margie, and Hermione had any idea as to what she meant. Ron, Harry, and Neville looked confused, while Ginny began trying to work out what Luna meant.

Hermione frowned again. "Why have we all been listed in pairs? I mean, there's Harry and Margie, Luna and Chris, Ron and me, and Ginny and Neville."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe we're supposed to be in pairs when we join together to fully defeat Voldemort."

Hermione suddenly had another suspiscion as to why they were named in pairs, but as they were only ten and eleven (and in her case twelve), she didn't voice it. Margie glanced at her watch, then said, "We're sorry, but Chris and I have to leave and go see Grandma now. We'll talk some more on this tomorrow night when we return." Luna and Ginny disappeared, presumably back to their homes.

At Grandma Elizabeth's house, Chris and Margie told their mother and grandmother about how they had to tell their friends the truth about their parentage and the prophecy Chris had made. Then they added that Gryffindor had won the Quittich match and how Quirrell seemed to have been jinxing Harry's broom while Snape was doing the countercurse. Eleanor ignored what happened at the match and focused on the prophecy. "Dumbledore needs to be told about it," said Eleanor. "So you think the people mentioned apply to your friends? It does make sense, I suppose."

Grandma sighed. "This is very unsettling. But alas, I don't have the time to ponder overlong at it. I shall die at the end of the tenth stroke next Friday morning. I have certain things to tell you. First, be on the lookout for Quirrell. He is dangerous, if you sense evil from him, Margie. Second, something is being hidden at Hogwarts, as I'm sure you two have guessed. It involves Nicolas Flamel and Dumbledore. In your last letter, you mentioned coming across a three-headed dog, Margie, so I suggest you ask Hagrid about it. Third, I will give you my Christmas presents to you early, since I will be dead by then."

She waved her wand and summoned three packages. Two of them were long and turned out to be Nimbus Two Thousands. The third contained a boxed set of the Chronicles of Narnia books. "Now, I will tell you the contents of my will so it won't come as a shock to the two of you when the will is read. First, you each get a fourth of my money. Second, this house is left to you, Crystal. Margie, you get the cottage in the countryside, and Chris, you get the house out by the sea. I wanted to free Tizzy and Milly from service, but they don't want to be free, so they'll go work for you, Crystal. Oh, and Chris, you get the gold chess set set with rubies and sapphires, and you Margie, the gold gobstones set. You also get my pearl earrings, ruby necklace, sapphire ring, amethyst brooch, and emerald bracelet and my wand. The rest of my jewlery goes to you, Crystal. Chris, you also get your grandfather's wand, the gold watch, the Gryffindor signet ring, the silver telescope, and the gold cauldron and potions supplies. The remaining one quarter of the family money is to be converted into pounds and donated to Greenpeace, Comic Relief, Christian Children's Fund, and various missons. I believe that's everything."

Margie, Chris, and their mother digested all this information. Grandma Elizabeth smiled, and then had them leave her room so she oculd get some rest.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

On Monday, Chris and Margie went to see Uncle Albus, who had just been informed about the new prophecy. "So you're sure that the people mentioned in the prophecy are your friends?"

Margie and Chris nodded and explained why they thought so. Uncle Albus looked thoughtful. "Hmm, I suppose you are right. But you're only children right now and Voldemort isn't going to be returning to power anytime soon. Prehaps a few years later he will return. For now, I want you two and your friends to live like normal wizarding children, but do be on your guard and learn some defense so you will be ready to fight Voldemort when the time comes."

On Thursday, the twins had to miss an entire day of classes because their grandmother wanted to see them before she died. The Weasleys, Luna, Harry, Neville, and Hermione had to go with them because Grandma Elizabeth wanted to see them as well. Once there, she made the twins promise to not grieve overlong and be happy that she was in Heaven where she wouldn't suffer any more pain. Then she made Eleanor promise to someday reveal herself. When they promised, Grandma Elizabeth looked happy.

She then turned to the Weasleys. "You're a good family. Better than families like the Malfoys and Notts. You might be poor in money, but you are rich in all things that matter. Like love and joy and the rest. Arthur and Molly, you've done an excellent job in raising your children. Percy, you're smart, but you do have flaws. You need to tame your ambition and don't let it rule you so that you don't one day turn your back on your family in favor of power or a good position. Fred and George, you bring laughter to people and will succeed in the area of joke-making. There was a reason why you were born on April Fool's Day. Ron, you may feel that you are over-shadowed by your brothers, but you have your own special place in life. You are a good strategist and will make a place for yourself. Ginny, the only girl in the Weasley family for at least three generations. You are forceful and brave and will make something of yourself."

Then she looked at Neville. "I went to school with your grandmother, Neville. Augusta was one of my friends. Not my best friend, but a close friend nonetheless. You have strength and hidden courage, which is why you were sorted into Gryffindor and not Hufflepuff. You may not feel like you amount to anything now, but I assure you will show your talents eventually. And with friends like yours, you will succeed and show your courage and skills."

"Hermione Granger, you are a very skilled and clever witch. You have the brains of a Ravenclaw and the courage of a Gryffindor. I forsee that you will succeed in whatever you do, though I suggest when you get to third year, to please not sign up for all the extra classes. It may prove to be too much for you. And Luna, you are very wise and will be a great help toyour friends. And someday you and your father will find a Crumple-horned Snorkack and prove that _The Quibbler_ isn't entirely rubbish, like many people think."

Finally she turned to Harry. "And last but not least, Harry James Potter. You're famous for something you don't remember. I know you probably don't like that very much. Do your best to ignore all that and stick with your friends. I know Lily and James would be very proud of you. You have as many friends now as Lily and James did in Hogwarts, if you count Luna and Ginny, though I know you don't know them very well yet. But you will soon. And all of you, I forsee great things in your futures. Oh, I've had my will changed so you all get something."

Milly and Tizzy appeared and she looked at them. "You've been very faithful house elves and have served me wonderfully, Milly and Tizzy. Since you don't want to be freed, you will work for my children and grandchildren and I hope you two will be just as loyal to them."

Milly burst into tears. "M-Mistress!' she wailed forgetting that Grandma Elizabeth didn't like being called Mistress. "M-Milly is not wanting you to d-die!"

"Now, now, Milly, I will be in Heaven," soothed Grandma. "And someday when you die, you'll join me. I'm sure God has a special place up there for good and loyal house elves. As that verse in the New Testament says, 'Well done, good and faithful servant'."

Tizzy burst into tears too. "You is being a good mistress! Tizzy knows your daughter is also being a good mistress, but Tizzy likes you and is not wanting you to go!"

"It won't be forever," said Grandma Elizabeth. "You will join me on the other side of the veil."

They all stayed by Grandma Elizabeth's bedside all that night, watching her sleep. At seven, she woke up and spoke to them all, telling them to not grieve overlong and carry on with their lives. After three hours the clock began to strike ten. Right after the first stoke, she said, "It is time now. I must leave you all. Good-by, everyone, and I will see you all in Heaven when you get there. I love you all very much." She finished speaking on the seventh stroke and smiled. On the eighth stroke, she whispered, "I'm ready, God," and on the ninth stroke took one last breath. On the tenth stroke, her eyes closed and she died.

Milly and Tizzy burst into hysterical sobs. Margie and Chris fell into each other's arms and cried. Eleanor stood there, frozen in shock and grief. Hermione and Ginny also burst into tears, even though Hermione had only known Grandma Elizabeth for a day. Mrs. Weasley also cried, while the boys and Mr. Weasley looked sad. Harry and Neville felt uncomfortable, for they hadn't known her long enough to really grieve for her. Luna didn't cry, but looked thoughtful and said, "We will see her on the other side of the veil one day, so it's not the end of the world. Just like Mum said before she died."

Finally Eleanor pulled herself together long enough to make the funeral arrangements. When she was done, she burst into tears and locked herself in her old bedroom. Milly and Tizzy stoped crying long enough to get the house in order for the funeral, which would take the place next day.

On Saturday morning was the funeral. Aunt Minerva, Uncle Albus, the twins' Great-Aunt Sophie, Mrs. Longbottom, and Remus Lupin attended with the others. The minister, who was a Squib, conducted the funeral. Margie, Chris, their mother, Great-Aunt Sophie, Mrs. Longbottom, and Uncle Albus spoke, talking about how Elizabeth Parker had touched their lives.

When it was over and the coffin buried, Remus walked over to Eleanor. "You look familar. You can't be Crystal Parker, can you?"

Eleanor removed the spells changing her hair and eye color and said, "Yes, Remus. I didn't die when Voldemort killed me, thanks to the fact that the Killing Curse hit the jade medallion I was wearing under my robes. I went to Dumbledore and he helped me. I changed my name and appearance somewhat so Voldemort wouldn't try to go after me again."

Tears fell from Remus' eyes again. "All this time I thought you were dead and that I was the only one left of our friends."

Chris and Margie were introduced to him and the circumstances of their birth explained, including the prophecy concerning them. Remus hugged them, then turned to Eleanor. "You could have told me that you were alive and with children, Crystal. I wouldn't have betrayed you."

"Prehaps not, but Voldemort could have gone after you and used Legilimency to find it out. "

Remus sighed. "True. At least you have told me now. And I suppose it was for the best that you didn't reveal yourself back then. Sirius would have immediately betrayed you to Voldemort."

"I'm not so sure of that, Remus," replied Eleanor. She quickly explained what her mother had said about Ron's pet rat possibly being Peter Pettigrew and Sirius not appearing to be the type to betray his friends or join the evil side.

Remus suddenly looked thoughtful and dragged Eleanor over to Dumbledore, where he made her tell Dumbledore about Scabbers possibly being Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore frowned. "Then that would mean an innocent man has been sent to Azkaban. On Monday, I will have Ron bring his rat to me and we will see if Elizabeth was right."

On Sunday, a goblin from Gringotts arrived to read the will. In it, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were left 5,000 galleons, Elizabeth's books concerning Muggles, and a television. The Weasley children were left a trust fund containing 7,000 galleons, which meant 1,000 for each of them. Ron, Ginny, Percy, Fred, and George would get their share when they came of age and the interest would be used to pay for their Hogwarts supplies and anything else they wanted. Luna, Neville, Hermione, and Harry were each left 1,000 galleons as well. Neville also received all the books in the library pertaining to Herbology, Harry and Ron the books on Defense and Quidditch, and Hermione the rest of the magical books in the library. Remus Lupin was left 5,000 galleons and Dark Detectors. Everything else, including the Muggle books, was left to Eleanor, Margie, and Chris, except for 5,000 galleons to be donated to various charities.

Late in the afternoon, everyone left. Tizzy was left at the house to look after it, while Milly was to go with Eleanor to her house in Ottery St. Catchpole.

On Monday, Scabbers was brought to Dumbledore, who did a spell revealing that Scabbers was indeed Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew was brought to the Ministry. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, was shocked and at first tried to pretend that it was a mistake or joke. But when Veritserum and questioning proved that it was Pettigrew, Fudge had papers written and signed for Black's release. Pettigrew was then put in the same maximum security cell that Sirius had occupied.

Eleanor then turned up and revealed herself to be Crystal Parker, the witch thought to be killed by Voldemort. Fudge had another headache having to deal with it and tried to not believe it, but when witnesses and questioning under Veritserum proved her to really be Crystal, he gave up. "Fine, Crystal Parker is alive! Go talk to someone else and let them deal with it!"

The next day, there was a very interesting article on the front page of _The Daily Prophet_. "_Sirius Black, the man thought to responsible for the death of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles turns out to be innocent, writes reporter Rita Skeeter. Yesterday, Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, brought in Peter Pettigrew to the Ministry. It seems that Peter was made secret keeper of the Potters (for more information on the Fidelus Charm, turn to page 3), not Sirius Black. He then betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who. When Black found out, he went after Pettigrew, who then faked his own death. Pettigrew was an illegal Animagus, so he hid out in his form of a rat, pretending to be the pet of the Weasley family. Why he went to the Weasley family is uncertain, considering that Arthur Weasley is known to be a Muggle-lover. _

_On another note, Crystal Parker, the witch thought to be killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, turns out to not be dead. Yesterday, after Pettigrew was brought in and Black released, she went to the Ministry and revealed herself. Witnesses and questioning under Veritserum proved that she was indeed Crystal Parker. She miraculously escaped death because the Killiung Curse hit the jade medallion she was wearing under her robes. When You-Know-Who left, she then transfigured the shards of medallion to look like her dead body, then went to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore helped her hide so You-Know-Who would not go after her again._

_Parker took the name of Eleanor Kirke, and her twin children, Margery and Christopher Kirke, currently attend Hogwarts. It is unknown as to who the father of the children are. As Parker was supposedly engaged to Sirius Black at the time of her 'death', it is possible that Black is their father. However, there are rumors that You-Know-Who may be their father, as it is rumored that he occasionally slept with witches before killing them. Parker herself was not available for questioning, but did tell reporters that she was engaged to Black and intends to marry him now that he is a free and innocent man."_

Margie put down the newspaper in disgust and showed the article to her friends. Hermione frowned. "Who is this Rita Skeeter, and how did she guess the truth about your parentage?"

Chris shrugged. "Mum says Rita Skeeter is a reporter who likes to write things that will damage people's reputations. She probably wrote the thing about Voldemort possibly being our father to make people think and prehaps avoid us."

A few of the Gryffindors, who had just read the article, gave Margie and Chris wary looks, then shifted a little away from them. Draco Malfoy and his two goons walked over. "That reporter doesn't know what she's talking about. The Dark Lord, being your father?" Malfoy laughed loudly.

Margie was furious and would have snapped that it was true just to shut Malfoy up, but Chris put his hand on her mouth and snapped, "Go away, Malfoy. Our grandmother just died on Friday and we're not in the mood to put up with you."

Aunt Minerva came over in a flash and said, "Is there any trouble?" Malfoy quickly shook his head and returned to the Slytherin table.

After breakfast, many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs avoided Chris and Margie, and some of the Gryffindors did as well. It seemed that they believed that it was possible for Voldemort to be the twins' father and the fact they were in Gryffindor and not Slytherin didn't change their minds any. Only the twins' friends, their dormmates, the Weasley twins, Percy and a few Gryffindors didn't avoid them. As Chris and Margie didn't know any of the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs very well, it didn't bother them much.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Margie and Chris slowly got over the death of their grandmother, mostly due to Neville and Hermione. Neville had lost his grandfather a couple of years ago, and Hermione's paternal grandparents had died two years ago, so they had experienced what the twins were going through. Most of the school still avoided Chris and Margie, due to Rita Skeeter's article. The students didn't really believe that they were really Voldemort's children, but there was the possibilty they were and so the students decided it would be safer to avoid them. The Gryffindors who had begun avoiding them after reading or hearing about the article stopped, since they realized that Chris and Margie were in Gryffindor, not Slytherin. Also, Percy and the Weasley twins pointed out to the other Gryffindors that they'd known Margie and Chris for many years and would know if they were evil.

Malfoy, who found the idea of them actually being Voldemort's children silly, had taken to teasing them when he passed them in the hall. On the way to Potions one day, he said, "Maybe we should all bow down to you and call Dark Lady and Dark Lord, Jr. If we don't, you'll get mad and kill us."

Margie completely lost her temper, having had to put with Malfoy's taunts for the past week. She pulled out her wand and yelled, "You know nothing, Malfoy! Chris and I would never join Voldemort, especially after what he did to Mother! So shut your big fat mouth up or I'll do the Waddiwasi spell on you again! And you had better watch out! Chris and I are the-"

Chris put his hand over Margie's mouth and hissed, "Shut up! You don't want to say anything you shouldn't in your anger."

Margie removed his hand and snapped, "You are the most annoying boy I've ever met, Draco Malfoy! You'd try the patience of a saint." Then she silently counted to ten, then said, "I pray for you, Draco Malfoy. May God show you the error of your ways and you learn to be a better person." With that, she pushed past Malfoy and hurried down the stairs leading to the dungeons.

Malfoy stared at Margie in shock. Then Chris said, "I will pray for you as well. Prehaps one day you will receive Christ and become a good Christian." Malfoy gaped at Chris as he and Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione went down the stairs.

That Sunday, instead of going to the chapel on the grounds by themselves, Margie and Chris got their friends to join them. Hermione had been to church before with her parents, and the Dursleys had taken Harry to the Christmas service a few times, mainly to show off how charitable they were in taking their nephew in. Ron didn't particularly care about going to a service, but neither did he want to be the only one their group not going, since the others had agreed to go, so in the end he joined them. He did end up falling asleep partway through, however. Chris noticed, but didn't wake Ron up, as it was Ron's decision on whether he wanted to hear the word of God and become a Christian.

In the afternoon, Sirius and Crystal came to visit. Sirius wanted to get to know his godson and his future stepchildren, since his engagement with Crystal was back and they planned to get married that summer. While Sirius spent some time meeting the twins, Harry, and their friends, Crystal went to see Dumbledore. "Since Sirius is free now, he would like to fulfill his duty of godfather and adopt Harry, like Lily and James would want, Professor."

Dumbledore frowned. "I'm sorry, but Harry can't go to live with Sirius, Elea-I mean Crystal. For the past eleven years I've gotten used to calling you Eleanor, and now that you've revealed yourself, you suddenly go back to your real name. Anyway, I have explained to you why Harry has to live with his aunt and uncle. It's because of the blood protection and the wards that depend on it. When Lily sacrificed herslef for Harry, she invoked an ancient protection. While that blood lives in Petunia, Harry is safe. However, I can offer a compromise. Harry will stay at his aunt and uncle for the first couple of weeks of the summer holidays, then he can go and stay with you and Sirius for the rest of the summer."

Crystal sighed. "Well, that is reasonable. I'll tell Sirius and persuade him to agree to the compromise. I can always threaten not to marry him if he won't agree to my other arguments." She got up and left the room.

Sirius and everyone else was gathered in an empty classroom. Harry was at the moment saying, "Really? I can live with you, Sirius? Great! When I can move in?"

Crystal interrupted him. "I'm sorry, but you can't just move in with Sirius and me, Harry. Your home will still have to be at the Dursleys, since there is some special protections and wards there that keep you safe. However, you only have to stay there for the first couple of weeks of the summer holidays. After that, you can pack up and live with us for the rest of the summer."

Harry, who had looked disappointed when Crystal first began speaking, brightened at the end. "That's good. I just have to put with my aunt, uncle, and cousin for two weeks, then I leave."

Sirius got up and had a whispered conversation with Crystal. Margie caught a few phrases, like "Why does Harry-?", "spoke with Dumbledore", and "compromise offered." Finally Sirius sighed in defeat and turned to Harry. "I really wish you could just move in with Crystal and me. But Dumbledore isn't allowing that because your protected at the Dursleys with the wards there, Harry. But having you with us for Christmas and most of the summer isn't bad at all."

"Christmas?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"You're staying with us for the Christmas holidays," said Crystal firmly. "Sirius and I want to get to know you better, and I doubt you want to spend the holidays with your relatives. Ron, you and your brothers are invited as well, since your parents will be away visiting your brother Charlie in Romania." Harry and Ron accepted the invitations, though Ron said he'd have to ask Fred, Georgem, and Percy to see if they wanted to as well.

On Monday, Chris suddenly remembered what his grandma had said before her death. She had told him that what was being hidden at Hogwarts involved Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel and to ask Hagrid about the three-headed dog. Chris reminded Margie about it and after classes that they, they and their friends went down to see Hagrid. He dropped a mug of tea when he heard they knew about the dog, whom he had named Fluffy. Margie exchanged a look with Chris that plainly said _He named a dangerous dog_ Fluffy?

When Ron pressed Hagrid for details, Hagrid snapped, "It's none of yer business! It's a matter between Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel an'-" He broke off, looking furious.

Margie said, "It's all right. Grandmum told me and Chris that what was being hidden at Hogwarts involved Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel. Can you tell us who Flamel is, Hagrid?'

"Well, he's the maker of-hey, I'm not supposed teh tell heh that! Don't ask me any more questions." Hagrid refused to answer any more questions and instead began talking about how great Christmas was to going to be.

The group went back to Hogwarts, unsatisfied. Margie and Chris were sure they had come across the name Nicolas Flamel somewhere, but they couldn't remember where. In the end, the six of them spent the couple of weeks before the holidays looking up Nicolas Flamel in the library. However, they couldn't find the name anywhere. In the end they gave up, but decided to look again when the holidays were over.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Two days before break, Harry came up with the idea of looking for Flamel in the Restricted Section with the help of Chris and Margie's Invisibility Cloak. Neville was too nervous with the idea of sneaking out after curfew and Margie and Hermione refused to break the rules unless there was an emergency, so Harry and Ron snuck out with the cloak and Chris went with them in bat form. In the Restricted section, the three of them scanned the shelves, looking for books that might solve the mystery of who Flamel was. Unfortunately, the search was interrupted when Harry took a book from a shelf and it began screaming when he opened it. He instantly slammed shut the book and shoved back on the shelf, but it kept screaming. Ron quickly threw the Invisibilitly Cloak over him and Harry while Chris put out the lantern and transformed into bat form.

They hurried out the library just in time to have Filch peer in the library, then rush away. Harry and Ron hurriedly began making their way back to Gryffindor tower, but must have made a wrong turn, for suddenly they heard Filch's and Snape's voices around the corner. "You asked me to contact you if anyone was sneaking around the school at night, Professor," said Filch.

Chris almost flew into him, but the bat's echolocation warned him of bodies so he turned and flew to where Harry and Ron were. (They were invisible, but not to a bat's echolocation.) He transformed and listened as Snape asked, "Where were they, Filch?"

"In the Restricted Section, Professor," responded Filch.

Chris looked around and saw a door standing ajar by a suit of armor. He had no idea where he was, which was odd, because he had explored the castle many times before and knew it like the back of his hand, except maybe for a few secret passages. On the other hand, it was dark, and he could haved forgotten about this suit of armor and the door. In any case, it was a good place to from Filch and Snape, who were approaching and sure to bump into Harry and Ron, as the corridor was narrow. He tugged on the cloak, gestured at the door, and then turned into bat and flew into the room, Harry and Ron behind him. Luckily Filch and Snape didn't notice anything as they walked past.

Chris transformed back into human and looked around the room. It looked like a disused classroom and finally Chris remembered finding it with Margie when they were eight. They hadn't been to this room ever since, which explained why he didn't recognize it at first. He the spotted a mirror, which certainly hadn't been there when he was eight.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _Chris felt that he should be able to know what the inscription said, but he couldn't figure out how.

In the meantime, Harry and Ron had removed the cloak and were looking curiously around the room. Chris ignored them and walked over to the mirror. He stifled a gasp of surprise, then looked behind him. Nobody was there, except for Harry and Ron. Chris looked again and saw his reflection, with his family and friends standing next to him, smiling, and a tombstone that read "R.I.P. Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort Defeated by the Eight Heroes."

He turned and said, "Harry, Ron, you have to see this mirror. It showed me and my family and friends, all standing around Voldemort's tombstone and smiling."

"What?" demanded Harry, looking disbelieveing, while Ron flinched and then looked curious.

"It's true. It's showing me what I want most, the defeat of my cursed sire by the eight of us from that prophecy I made and all of us happy about it." Chris was suddenly struck by something and looked at the writing again. This time, he figured out that "erised" was "desire" spelled backwards. As he stepped aside to let Harry look, he wondered if the rest of the writing was backwards as well, like the reverse image of a mirror. He slowly puzzled his way through and figured out the writing was, "I show not your face but your hearts desire."

He was about to tell Harry and Ron this when Harry exclaimed, "Hey, I can see my parents! And a bunch of other people that must be my relatives and ancestors!"

Chris and Ron looked, but only saw Harry's reflection. "We can't see anything, just your reflection, Harry," said Ron.

"I think it's because this mirror is no ordinary mirror," said Chris. "I figured out the writing was mirror-writing. It's backwards and is 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'. I think whomever looking in the mirror will see what they desire most."

Naturally, Ron had to look in the mirror and reported that he saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain and just winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. That apparently was his heart's desire, doing so well in school that he was better than his brothers. Harry then had to see his family again.

After a few minutes, Chris put a stop to it. "We really should go back to bed. We can't just stand around gazing at the this mirror all night. Our other friends will be worried. And I don't think it's a good idea to be gazing too long at this mirror anyway. I'm sorry, Harry, but looking at shadows of your parents isn't going to bring them back to life. And I could gaze at us celebrating Voldemort's death, but it won't happen if I spend all my time looking at the picture."

Harry reluctantly pried his gaze away from the mirror and the three of them left for the Gryffindor common room. Margie was still up and Chris told her about the mirror will Harry and Ron went to bed. Margie stowed the invisibility cloak in her trunk so Harry wouldn't be able to use it to find the mirror again.


	12. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Sorry about the length of time between this chapter and the last one. I have been busy with school and work and didn't have much time to write this, This chapter is longer than the others, so I hope it makes up for the wait.

Chapter Eleven

Christmas break began and Margie and Chris went home for the holidays, accompanied by their friends. They, along with Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville occupied a compartment and spent the train ride playing Exploding Snape and talking over what they planned to do for Christmas. A few reminisces of past Christmases were also talked about. Harry was silent during those talks, just listening to his friends.

Finally Margie noticed and turned to Harry. "Why aren't you joining in the conversation, Harry? Come on, tell us about a past Christmas."

"I don't have anything to say," responded Harry. "The Dursleys never made Christmas fun for me. Dudley was the one who had fun."

Margie frowned. "What did your aunt and uncle do, not give you any presents and claim that you've been a bad boy and didn't deserve presents? Or make up some nonsense about how Father Christmas doesn't give gifts to bad children?"

Harry, face scarlet, nodded in an embarassed sort of way. Chris exclaimed, "So that's why you weren't really expecting presents!"

Margie's eyes narrowed. "Well, you are going to get presents this Christmas, Harry. Mother and Sirius are going to give you presents, and so are your friends."

Neville asked, "Did you get presents on your birthday, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I did, but not nice ones. For my tenth birthday, I got a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks."

Chris and Margie exchanged looks. If their mother and Sirius found out about it, they'd be very mad. Sirius might even be so angry that he'd charge off and hex the Dursleys over their treatment of Harry.

Hermione, who had been looking shocked, now asked, "Harry, did your relatives ever abuse you in any way?"

"No," answered Harry. "Well, they never hit me or anything, except Dudley, who's a bully. Mostly they just snapped at me if I annoyed them and anytime I did something odd, I got locked in the cupboard under the stairs."

"Enough questions," interrupted Margie, who saw that Harry looked uncomfortable having to answer these questions. "Harry, could you escort me to the bathrooom?" Harry nodded and they left the compartment. Once they were walking down the corridor, Margie said, "It really is terrible about your relatives. But I guess it's to be expected, since Mum told me that your aunt hated your mother after she got her Hogwarts letter. You aunt may have loved your mother in a she's-my-sister-and-I-have-to-kind of way, but basically she hated your mum. You don't have to answer questions about your childhood at the Dursleys if they make you uncomfortable. And if you want to talk about it to someone, Chris and I are available. We won't tell anyone about it if you don't want others to know. Oh, Chris and I don't have secrets from each other, but you can be certain that we won't tell them to other people without permission."

They arrived at the bathroom then, so Harry returned to the compartment and Margie went in to freshen up,

When the Hogwarts Express pulled in at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Margie and Chris saw their mother and Sirius waiting for them on the platform. Everyone began disembarking. Crystal engulfed her twins in a big hug, then turned and hugged Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. When Fred, George, and Percy came over, she hugged them as well.

Outside of King's Cross, Margie, Chris, Harry, and the Weasleys got into Crystal's van, which she had recently bought in order to fit everyone in. The boot, however, had to be magically expanded to fit everyone's belongings. Due to the snowy condition of the roads, the drive to Ottery St. Catchpole, which normally took about an hour, ended up taking an hour and half. Throughout the ride, they all sang Christmas carols, Sirius beginning with "God Rest Ye Merry, Hippogriffs" and sounding slightly off-key. When the song ended, Harry asked what hippogriffs were and Chris explained that they were a cross between griffens and horses.

Finally they arrived at Griffen's Eyrie, the name that Crystal had given her house. At the gate, on each side, stood a statue of a griffen, which had given the house its name. Once inside, Crystal said, "Go upstairs and put your things in your rooms. Percy and Ron, you have the blue room at the end of the hall. Fred and George, you have the red room, which is to the right of the stairs. Harry, you will have to share Chris's room. A second bed has been put in your room, Chris."

Harry followed Chris to his room, which was papered black and gold stripes with yellow brooms on the black stripes and black bludgers on the gold stripes. Over the wallpaper hung posters of the Quidditch team the Wimbourne Wasps, one of which was autographed by the team members, and one poster of the Chudley Cannon's, which Ron had given Chris for his ninth birthday. A second bed had been put on top of Chris' bed, making them bunk beds. Next to the beds was a bureau and dresser with a lamp and alarm clock. Against the wall stood a bookcase filled with many books, at least half of them Muggle ones. At the foot of the beds was a closet and window and against the wall near the door stood a desk and two chairs.

A few minutes later, Margie knocked on the door and entered. "Harry, Mother asked me to show you around the house before dinner." She led Harry next door to her room, which was papered a dark green with a pattern of quaffles and gold talons. Posters of the Holyhead Harpies hung on the walls, one of which was autographed by the team members, as well as a poster each of the Wimbourne Wasps and the Chudley Cannons, which Chris and Ron had given her for Christmas once. Above the bed was tacked a parchment that read "Goals in Life- 1. Help defeat Voldemort 2. Do well at Hogwarts and graduate 3. Become a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies or an auror." There was a number four, but it had been crossed out.

"What did you have written for number four?" asked Harry curiously.

Margie blushed a brillant scarlet. "Er, just something silly I wrote when I was nine and didn't know any better."

Ron, who was leaning in the doorway, said, "I can tell you. It was 'Marry Harry Potter and have kids.'"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" cried Margie, face more scarlet than before. "You weren't supposed to tell! Harry, please ignore it. I was nine when I wrote that list of goals. At that time, I sort of had a crush on you, because you were the Boy-Who-Lived and all. But after I wrote it, Chris and Ron teased me about it, so I crossed it off. Then I got over the crush when I realized that I didn't know you, just knew about you. Now, Ron, get out of my room! Harry, let me show you the other rooms."

At the end of the hall was the blue room so called because it was papered a dark blue. Attatched to it was a bathroom. Across Margie's room was the red room, which was papered red with gold trim. Next to that was a bathroom and the stairs. On the other side of the stairs was the bedroom where Crystal and Sirius occupied, with accompanying bathroom.

Downstairs was a kitchen, dining room, living room, lavatory, den, and a study filled with shelves of books and a desk with a computer. In the living room, a Christmas tree had been set up, but it wasn't decorated. Crystal poked her head inside. "Dinner will be in five minutes. After, we're all going to decorate the tree. That's the only thing not decorated. Wash up and call the others."

After dinner, the ornaments were brought out and everyone began decorating the tree, singing Christmas carols while they worked. Then Sirius placed the star on top and they all sat down to admire their work.

On Christmas Eve, a big supper was prepared, with the boys being pulled into helping, despite Milly the house elf's protests that she could do it all. A large gingerbread castle was decorated and placed in the center of the table. After supper, Crystal took out her mother's Bible and read the story of Jesus' birth. Then Sirius read the traditonal Christmas story, beginning with, "'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

On Christmas morning, Chris and Margie woke up at six in the morning as they usually did on Christmas. They woke everyone up and got them downstairs in the living room, where the presents were piled under the tree. Margie opened her presents, which consisted of a box of Licorace Wands from Hermione, a pale blue sweater and a tin of biscuits (cookies) from Mrs. Weasley, the book _Hiedi_ from Chris, sapphire blue dress robes from Sirius, a ruby brooch from her mother, a book on plants from Neville, a scarf from Ginny, and pink lipstick from Ron. Margie lifted a brow at the lipstick, as her mother didn't allow her to wear make-up, other than nail polish. She thanked Ron sincerely for his gift, however, and looked questioningly at her mother, who nodded assent.

Chris got a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, a dark blue sweater and tin of fudge from Mrs. Weasley, the book _Redwall_ from Margie, navy blue dress robes from Sirius, a silver watch set with rubies from his mother, a book on potions from Neville, a hat from Ginny, and a pair of gloves from Ron. He then looked over at Harry, who was happily opening his many presents. Harry's aunt and uncle had sent a note with a fifty-pence piece taped to it, which he gave to Ron, who had been fascinated by it. Then Harry had gotten an emerald green sweater and a tin of fudge from Mrs. Weasley, a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, a chess set from Chris, the book _Quidditch Through the Ages _from Margie, two photos of his parents and the same watch Chris had gotten from Crystal and Sirius, a box of Every Flavor Beans from Neville, a scarf from Ron, and an Invisibilty Cloak from an anonymous person. The note only said that Harry's father had left it in his or her possession before his death and that it was time it was returned.

Sirius looked excited. "James' invisibilty cloak! We used to have such fun times with it." He ruffled Harry's hair and continued, "We snuck down to the kitchens and visited the Forbidden Forest covered in that Cloak. And used it to go out and keep Moony company on-well, I think Remus should be the one to tell you about his condition."

Fred and George looked up. "Moony?"

"Yeah," smiled Sirius. "That was the nickname of Remus Lupin, one of my friends. I was nicknamed Padfoot and James, Harry's dad, was nicknamed Prongs." His face darkened and he said slowly, "And last was that rat Peter, nicknamed Wormtail."

"Then that means you created the Marauder's Map!" exclaimed Fred. George nodded and ran upstairs. He returned a couple of minutes later with an old and blank parchment.

"How did you get it?" asked Sirius excitedly. "Filch confisticated from us in our seventh year. Luckily it was wiped blank, and it just insulted him when he tried to work how to use it."

Fred and George began recounting how they in their first year, they had been dragged to Filch's office for setting off dungbombs. They had spotted a drawer labeled "Confisticated and Highly Dangerous" and had to look inside. So George caused a diversion by setting off another Dungbomb and Fred had opened the drawer and grabbed the Map. After some trial and error and some helpful hints provided by the Marauder's writing, they had worked out how to use it.

Sirius grinned. "I can't think of anyone better to have the Marauder's Map after us. But since Harry is James' son, you are going to let him use it too."

Luckily Percy had gone upstairs to change and brush his teeth, so he didn't hear any of this and talk disapprovingly of it.

After breakfast, Sirius, Crystal, Margie, Chris, Ron, and Harry went to the Christmas service being held, while Percy, Fred, and George elected to stay at Griffen's Eyrie. When they returned home, Mr. Lovegood and Luna turned up, having always spent their Christmases at Griffen's Eyrie since Mrs. Lovegood's death over two years ago. The Lovegood's handed out their presents and opened the presents given to them.

Then everyone gathered in the dining room, where the Christmas feast was spread out on the table. There were two large turkeys surrounded with lots of other food, such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, mince pie and a vegetable medley. It was followed by flaming plum pudding, Christmas cake, apple pie, and roasted chestnuts.

Everyone was stuffed after the feast, so they just sat around in the living room, drinking hot cider. Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron and Chris. He won against Margie, but Chris suspected that she had let Harry win, since she was a very good chess player. Luna and Margie discussed the contents of _The Quibbler_ and played Exploding Snap while Harry played against Ron and Chris.

After Margie and Harry's chess match, Crystal got out the Muggle board game of Monopoly, which she has charmed so that all the play money said galleons and the prices of properties and such were listed in galleons. She explained the game to Harry, who had never played it before, then they began playing the game. By tea time, the game ended, with Fred winning. They then went to the dining room, where they had a tea of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, and cake. After tea was a nother game of Monopoly, this time with Harry winning.

At ten o'clock, everyone had a mug of hot cider and Christmas biscuits, then went to bed.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Christmas holidays ended and everyone went back to Hogwarts. Margie, Chris, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Neville still kept looking for Nicolas Flamel in their spare time, but couldn't find him. He wasn't in _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century_, or _Notable Magical Names of Our Time, Important Modern Magical Discoveries_, and _A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry _or any other book. Harry had even less time to look for Flamel, since Quidditch practices had resumed.

The one day Harry came back to the common room after a practice, looking put out. "Wood says that Snape is going to referee the match with Hufflepuff," he said, sounding gloomy.

Margie just shrugged. "Well, it's nothing to cry over. He might try to favor Hufflepuff, but all you need to do is catch the snitch early, Harry."

Ron looked at her shocked. "How can you take it so calmly, Margie? After what happened at the first Quidditch match?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, when is it going to penetrate your thick head that Snape doesn't mean any serious harm to Harry?" asked Margie. "I told you, Quirrell has an aura of evil around him and he was probably the one who tried to jinx Harry's broom."

"But Snape was muttering and staring at Harry too," protested Ron.

"Have you have considered that Snape was trying to save Harry by saying the counterjinx?" asked Chris, who looked annoyed.

Ron opened his mouth, then shut it. Hermione nodded. "I agree with Margie. Quirrel probably was the one trying to jinx Harry's broom. Snape likely wants to make sure it doesn't happen again. But you still need to catch the snitch early, Harry, before Snape tries to favor Hufflepuff too much."

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognised at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

Everyone fell about laughing except Margie, and Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet trembling.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Chris.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on. I tried to fight back, but he got me first."

"Neville, go to Aunt Minerva," urged Margie. "Report him."

Neville shook his head. "I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked.

The others looked furious. Chris snapped, "Not brave enough for Gryffindor? When you were brave enough to help fight a troll? Neville, don't listen to Malfoy. You are brave enough for Gryffindor. My grandmother said so, and she's never wrong."

Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who was starting to cheer up a bit after what Chris said.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

Neville unwrapped the Frog, saying, "Thanks, Harry and Chris." He popped it in his mouth and glanced at the card. "Albus Dumbledore." He flipped it over and suddenly gasped. "I've found Flamel!" The others jumped in surprise, then crowded around him. Neville read out loud, "'Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"

"You've found Flamel!" exclaimed Ron, looking happy. "Now we just need to-"

Hermione jumped to her feet, interrupting him. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd got back their marks for their very first piece of homework. "Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. The others barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. At last she found what she was looking for. "I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected. "The what?" asked Harry, Neville, Chris, and Ron. Margie was the only one who wasn't mystified, because she had an idea as to what a Philosopher's Stone was.

"Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look - read that, there."  
She pushed the book towards them, and they read:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.  
There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"That means Fluffy must be guarding the Philosopher's Stone," said Neville slowly. "Flamel probably asked Dumbledore to help him keep it safe, since they're friends and all, and the Stone got moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts."

"A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder somebody's after it! Anyone would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?" Margie and Hermione gave him exasperated looks.

The match drew nearer, and Chris and Margie that Harry seemed increasingly nervous. Snape also seemed to turn up wherever Harry went, and he was being so horrible to him that Potions lessons were torture. Snape ignored Margie and Chris, probably because he didn't want to recieve another Howler from Crystal, but he seemed to feel perfectly safe being horrible to Harry and bullying Neville, and sometimes Ron. Snape looked as if he wanted to be mean to Hermione, too, but she didn't give him a reason to, always brewing perfect potions and not doing anything out-of-bounds.

Finally the day of the match arrived and Margie, Chris, Neville, Hermione, and Ron gathered out in the stands to watch. To their surprise, Dumbledore had come to watch, which meant Quirrell wouldn't be able to do anything to Harry nor could Snape favor Hufflepuff except for legitimate reasons.

Snape looked very angry as the teams went out on the pitch, and Ron noticed this. "I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look - they're off. Ouch!" Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?" Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him.

Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"Go away, Malfoy!" snarled Chris, his eyes also fixed on the game.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.

"It's the people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter, but Margie turned around and snapped, "Neville's right. If _you_ faced a troll, you'd probably wet your pants in fright. Neville, on the other hand, bravely faced a troll and helped fight it."

Malfoy glared at Margie, then turned his attention back to Neville. "Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Ron's nerves were already stretched to breaking point with anxiety about Harry. "I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word -"

"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly. "Harry -!"

"What? Where?"

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked towards the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy. Ron snapped.

Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help. Chris turned around to see what was happening, then joined the fray. Margie aimed her wand carefully at Goyle and was able to hit him with the Leg-Locker Curse, so Chris and Neville would have a better fighting chance, Then she turned her attention back to the match.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping off her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape - she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Chris, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches - next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Herry's won! We've won! Gryffindor are in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.

Chris and Neville extracted themselves from Crabbe and Goyle, whom they had had managed to defeat, and Margie enveloped both in hugs. "Isn't it great? Harry won! Gryffindor's in the lead!" She planted a sisterly kiss on Chris' and Neville's cheek in happiness.

Later all the Gryffindors headed back to the Gryffindor common room for a celebration party. Fred and George nicked some food from the kitchens, which wasn't all that hard considering the house-elves were happy to give it away. When a few minutes passed and Harry didn't show up, Chris, Margie, and Neville went to look for him. They met him in the entrance hall, looking not at all happy.

"What's the matter, Harry?" asked Margie. "Gryffindor won, and you caught the snitch in about five minutes."

Harry led them to an empty classroom, first making sure that Peeves wasn't in there, then quickly explained about a meeting he had overheard between Snape and Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest. Chris frowned. "So it's definitely a Philosopher's Stone, then. But why is Snape acting as if he wants the Stone and is forcing Quirrell to help him?"

"You said Quirrell has an aura of evil, Margie," said Neville uncertainly. "So maybe he's after this Philosopher's Stone, and Snape found out about it. Quirrell could have let that troll in on Halloween, after all. Snape must be trying to find out how far Quirrell has gotten toward figuring out how to get past all the protections on the Stone."

The others looked at Neville, surprised. "You have a point," said Margie. "Goodness, Neville, Grandma was right about you. You have hidden talents, and you're figuring things out."

They hurried to the common room, where the party was in full swing. The four of them managed to get Hermione and Ron to one side and under cover of all the noise, told them about the meeting Harry had heard. Ron still had doubts over Snape's loyalty, but had to admit that Neville had a point and that Margie did have a gift for correctly judging people's character. In the end, they decided to worry about all this the next, since the party was a distraction to thinking, and did their best to enjoy themselves.


	14. Chapter 13

After the match, Hermione stopped focusing so much on the Philosopher's Stone. Instead, she started becoming worried about the exams. She dew up revision timetables and started color-coding her notes. None of the rest would have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same. "Hermione, the exams are ages away," said Chris exasperatedly one day.

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you revising for, you already know it all."

"What am I revising for? Are you mad? You realise we need to pass these exams to get into second year? they're very improtant, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's got into me ..."

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones.

It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Margie, Chris, Ron, Harry, and Neville spent most of their free time in the library with her to get through all their extra homework.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was clear, forget-me-not blue and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Chris looked up and nodded in agreement. "Can't we at least study outside?" he asked.

"No," responded Margie, not looking up from her book. "It'll just be a distraction, and I do want to be able to pass the exams." While she wasn't as serious about revising as Hermione, she wasn't as lax as Chris about it.

A minute later, Margie looked up when Neville exclaimed, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat. "Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St-"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -"

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've old yeh -"

"See you later, then," said Harry. Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully. "Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table. "Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Irealnd; Fron Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide_."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him," said Harry.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon-breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

Margie exchanged looks with Chris, who did not look happy. "I just got another of my visions when Hagrid showed up," he said. "I saw an egg of some sort in a a kettle in a blazing fire."

Hermione gasped. "Oh no! Does this mean Hagrid's somehow got hold of a dragon egg? This is not good."

"No, it isn't," said Neville. "We'll just have to talk with Hagrid and figure out what to do."

When the six of them arrived at Hagri'ds hut an hour later, they saw that the curtains were closed. Hagrid asked who was at the door before he would let them in and then shut the door quickly behind them. It was stiflingly hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. They exchanged worried looks.

Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused. "So - yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," said Harry. There was no point in beating about the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy."

Hagrid frowned at him. "O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know about Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice.

Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really," Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. The others beamed at Hermione. "Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that ... let's see ... he borrowed Fluffy from me ... then some o' the teachers did enchantments ... Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall -" he ticked them off on his fingers. "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. Chris and Margie noticed him glance at the fire. They looked at it too.

"Hagrid - what's that?" asked Neville, but from the look on his face, he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg. Chris and Margie exchanged looks again.

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard. "That's - er ..."

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the villiage havin' a few drinks an' got into a game of cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" asked Margie, wringing her hands in nervousness.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library - Dragon-Breeding for Pleasure and Profit - it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognise diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridegback. They're rare, them."

He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't. "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

For the next two weeks, the six of them discussed what to do about Hagrid and the dragon when they weren't revising or doing homework. Chris didn't get any visions about what they did about it in the future, to his annyance. He knew that he couldn't control his visions, and at any rate, he only got them a few hours in advance at most.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought a note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: _It's hatching_.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.  
"Hermione, how many times are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing -"

"Shut up!" Chris hissed.

Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Chris didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.

"I don't like anything about Malfoy," said James. "And I haven't even seen the boy!"

Ron and Hermione argued all the way down to Herbology, and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with them during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle the the end of their lesson, the six of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the Forest.

Hagrid greeted them looking flushed and excited. "It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it. They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. Tha baby dragon flopped down on to the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body and it had a long snout with wide nostrils, stubs od horns and bulging, orange eyes. It sneezed. a couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmered. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. "Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face - he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Harry bolted to the door and looked out, the others following. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him. Malfoy had seen the dragon.

The next week was spent in convincing Hagrid to give up the dragon, which he had named Norbert. Finally Hagrid agreed that they could write to Ron's brother, Charlie, and see if he would take Norbert in. In the meantime, Malfoy hadn't told about the dragon, but something about the smile lurking on his face during the week made the six of them very nervous.

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Chris, Margie, Neville, Harry, and Hermione sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. He had been down to hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbet, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

There was a tap on the dark window.  
"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The six of them put their heads together to read the note.

_Dear Ron,  
How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some fiends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they musn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.  
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.  
Send me an answer as soon as possible.  
Love,  
Charlie _

They looked at each other. "Well, we've got our and Harry's Invisibility Cloaks," said Margie. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the one of the Cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."  
It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other five agreed with her. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.

There was a hitch. By next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey - would she recognise a dragon bite?

By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbet's fangs were poisonous. The others rushed to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told madam pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes me - I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."

They tried to calm Ron down.  
"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all.

On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat. "Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no - oh no - I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbet."

The others didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry said. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got Invisibility Cloaks, Malfoy doesn't know about that."

They found Fand the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage - nothin' I can't handle."

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbet had just bitten him on the leg. "Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot - jus' playin' - he's only a baby, after all."

The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. The five of them walked back to the castle, feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough. It was decided that Chris and Margie would take Norbert under their Invisibility Cloak and Harry and Hermione would follow under Harry's Cloak to keep an eye on things. Neville would remain behind in the common room.

They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say goodbye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he'd been playing tennis against that wall.

Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate. "He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' i've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to the twins as though teddy was having his head torn off.

"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Chris and Margie covered the crate with the Invisibility Cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mummy will never forget you!"

How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer and nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase, then another - even one of the twins short cuts didn't make the work much easier.

"Nearly there!" Chris panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.

Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting thay they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the two outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared. Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing-gown and a hairnet, had Malfoy by the ear. "Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you -"

"You don't understand, Professor, Harry Potter's coming - he's got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the Cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig. "Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Harry advised her.

Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited. Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness. Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed the four of them the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them.

They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Chris, Margie, Harry, and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much. At last, Norbert was going ... going ... gone.

They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon - Malfoy in detention - what could spoil their happiness? The answer to that was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."

They had left their Invisibility Cloaks on top of the tower.

Needless to say, they were in very big trouble when Filch dragged them to Aunt Minerva's office. She looked furious as she gazed at the them. "Mr. Filch says you were up the astronomy tower. Its one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue. Aunt Minerva focused her attention on the twins. "Christopher James Remus Parker and Margery Alice Lily Parker, I demand an explanation."

"Er, we were, um, double dating, Aunt Minerva, I mean Professor McGonagall," invented Chris. "I was with Hermione and Margie was with Harry."

Margie silently groaned and gave her twin a Look. Couldn't he have come up with a better excuse?

"As you four are only eleven and twelve, I find that hard to believe," said Aunt Minerva frostily, one eyebrow raised. "I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him."

"I'm disgusted," continued Aunt Minerva. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. And Christopher and Margery! My own godchildren! How could you act like this? All four of you will receive detentions and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Fifty?" Harry gasped - they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.

"Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.

"Professor - please -" began Hermione.

"You can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students." Her gaze lingered on Margie and Chris in particular.

Two hundred points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the House Cup.

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hour-glass that recorded house points next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a three other stupid first-years.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup.

Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"

Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff already didn't care much for Margie and Chris due to the rumor Rita Skeeter had started about them being the children of Voldemort. The loss of the two hundred points gave the two other houses another reason to avoid them. Ron and Neville were the only ones that stood by them and Harry and Hermione.

Harry actually went up to Wood and offered to resign, but Wood wouldn't let him. Crystal and Sirius did not send a Howler, but did send a letter scolding the twins and Harry. Margie had written a letter explaining about Hagrid and Norbert, so Sirius and Crystal weren't too mad, but they were annoyed that the kids had forgotten the Cloaks and that they didn't think of going to Dumbledore about it. Crystal was also of the opinion that the twins should have told Aunt Minerva the truth when they were caught. The letter ended with Crystal informing the twins that they couldn't go flying for a month when they came home for the holidays as punishment.

Chris and Margie exchanged looks after reading the letter and realized that in retrospect, their mother was right. They put away the letter and after breakfast, headed for class.


End file.
